An American woman, who had been detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban since February, has been released, according to the US’s former ambassador to Afghanistan.
“American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home. Thank you, #Qatar, for your ongoing and steadfast partnership,” Zalmay Khalilzad wrote on X.
“Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and has been confirmed in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks. Arrangements are currently underway for her return to the United States,” the source said.
Hall was detained in Afghanistan since February on charges of using a drone without authorization.
Her release comes after Trump envoy Adam Boehler and former Trump official Khalilzad traveled to Kabul to secure the release of American George Glezmann, which was also mediated by the Qataris.
On Wednesday, the US removed millions of dollars of bounties on three Taliban officials but kept their terrorist designations.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed “there is no current reward offer” for the Taliban’s Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani. However, they “remain designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and the Haqqani Network remains designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a SDGT.”
“It is the policy of the United States to consistently review and refine Rewards for Justice reward offers,” the spokesperson said.
The Haqqani network was responsible for kidnappings and suicide bombings against the United States and its allies for decades and its members now serve as part of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened a “very big bounty” on Taliban leaders if they are holding more American detainees than was known.
“Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported. 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 Bin Laden,” Rubio posted on X.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
