3 Taliban commanders exchanged for American, Australian hostages abducted in Afghanistan
The Afghan government exchanged three Taliban commanders Tuesday for two Western hostages, American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, according to Afghan and Taliban officials. Weeks and King, both professors at the American University of Kabul, were abducted in 2016 outside of Kabul. "The two professors are safely freed and are being taken care of now," an Afghan official told Reuters. A Taliban official told The Associated Press that the two Western hostages were released in an area of southern Zabul province largely under Taliban control.
The Taliban did not release King and Weeks until the three Taliban prisoners were flown to Qatar and released. Among the three freed commanders was Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's deputy chief and head of the brutal Haqqani network. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, a former hostage negotiator, separately called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday to discuss the prisoner exchange, Ghani's spokesman told AP. The swap was meant to restart U.S.-Taliban peace talks that broke down in early September.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
You Are Here: the new David Nicholls 'past-their-prime' romance
The Week Recommends 'Midlife disenchantment' gives way to romance for two walkers on a cross-country hike
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
The new powers to stop stalking in the UK
The Explainer Updated guidance could help protect more victims, but public is losing trust in police and battered criminal justice system
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Criminal trail?'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published