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Western Hostages to be Exchanged for Haqqani Leader

Ayesha Tanzeem

   ISLAMABAD - Taliban will release two Western hostages they have held
   for three years in return for the Afghan government releasing three
   senior Taliban leaders, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced Tuesday
   morning.

   He said his government made this decision, in consultation with its
   international partners, in particular the United States, in order to
   facilitate "talks with the Taliban and for reaching peace and
   stability, which is the demand of every Afghan."

   American Kevin King, 62, and Australian Timothy John Weeks, 50, were
   kidnapped in Kabul in August 2016, as they were leaving the American
   University of Afghanistan where they taught.

   In January 2017, the Taliban released a video in which the two
   professors begged their families to put pressure on the United States
   government to negotiate with the Taliban and exchange prisoners for
   them.

   "The Taliban have asked for soldiers to be released from Bagram prison
   air force base and from Pul e Karti, where they are held at the
   moment," Weeks said in the 13-minute video in which both seemed
   extremely distraught and were crying.

   Ghani said the decision had a humanitarian angle as well since his
   government had reports the health of the hostages was deteriorating.

   The three Taliban leaders to be released include Anas Haqqani, the
   younger brother of current Haqqani network chief Sirajuddin Haqqani,
   along with Haji Mali Khan and Abdul Rashid.

   Ghani described their release as "conditional" without identifying the
   conditions.

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