US Seeks Guarantees Before Freeing Taliban Prisoners
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — An Afghan High Peace Council member said that the United States had agreed in principle to set free four or five Taliban prisoners from its detention center in Guantanamo Bay.
“The United States has decided to set free some five or four Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay,” Ismail Qasimyar said. “Meanwhile, however, some U.S. circles are worried and seek guarantees from Qatar’s government that these [Taliban] leaders will not join the insurgency again.”
There was no confirmation of the report from U.S. officials.
Qasimyar said the issue of the release of Taliban prisoners was the main obstacle to the opening of a liaison office in Doha, from where the group could negotiate with those actors involved in the Afghanistan war.
