Taliban Warns US After Marco Rubio Threatens Bounties On Afghan Leaders Over Detained Americans

A senior Taliban official has warned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio against issuing threats after the latter suggested placing bounties on Afghanistan’s rulers over the continued detention of American nationals.

The warning came from Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s ambassador to Qatar, following Rubio’s remarks about the two remaining Americans held in Taliban custody, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, news agency AP reported.

A recent US-Afghanistan prisoner swap saw the release of two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, in exchange for a Taliban figure, Khan Muhammad.

The deal had been negotiated under Joe Biden’s administration before he left office.

However, concerns have grown over other detainees.

"Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported," Rubio posted on X last week.

"If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on (Osama) bin Laden," he added.

In response, Shaheen urged diplomacy over threats.

"It is the policy of the Afghan government to resolve issues peacefully through dialogue," he stated, while issuing a veiled warning: "In the face of pressure and aggression, the jihad (struggle) of the Afghan nation in recent decades is a lesson that everyone should learn from."

The Taliban, which fought US and NATO forces for two decades before reclaiming power in August 2021, has not disclosed the exact number of foreign detainees in Afghanistan.

Shaheen highlighted the recent release of Canadian national David Lavery, secured through mediation by Qatar.

"The friendly country of Qatar played a key role in his release," he noted, underscoring the Taliban’s willingness to negotiate.

Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, confirmed Lavery’s release, stating on X that she had spoken with him upon his arrival in Qatar.

"He is in good spirits," she wrote, expressing gratitude to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for his role in the mediation.

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