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Biden spoke with families of Americans detained in Afghanistan, White House says

Efforts to secure the release of the Americans continue, a second source familiar with the initiative told Reuters on Sunday.

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US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with the families of three Americans detained in Afghanistan since 2022, and emphasized his commitment to bringing home Americans wrongfully held overseas, the White House said.

Biden’s administration has been negotiating with the Islamic Emirate since at least July about a US proposal to release the three Americans – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi – in exchange for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, a high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay, Reuters reported last week, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

Efforts to secure the release of the Americans continue, a second source familiar with the initiative told Reuters on Sunday.

Corbett and Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022 a year after the IEA regained control of the country.

Glezmann was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.

Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood Habibi’s brother, who was on the call on Sunday, welcomed the discussion with Biden.

“President Biden was very clear in telling us that he would not trade Rahim if the Taliban (IEA) do not let my brother go,” he said.

“He said he would not leave him behind. My family is very grateful that he is standing up for my brother.”

The IEA, which denies holding Habibi, had countered the US proposal with an offer to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two others, one of the sources told Reuters last week.

The White House noted that Biden has brought home more than 75 Americans unjustly detained around the world, including from Myanmar, China, Gaza, Haiti, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Venezuela and West Africa.

His administration also brought home all Americans detained in Afghanistan before the US military withdrawal, it said.

A Senate intelligence committee report on the agency’s so-called enhanced interrogation program called Rahim an “al Qaeda facilitator” and said he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and “rendered” to the CIA the following month.

He was kept in a secret CIA “black site,” where he was subjected to tough interrogation methods, including extensive sleep deprivation, and then sent to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008, the report said.

Biden last week sent 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, reducing the prisoner population at the detention center in Cuba by nearly half as part of its effort to close the facility as the president prepares to leave office on Jan. 20.

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IEA should respond to Pakistan’s security concerns with concrete actions: Andrabi

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Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.

This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.

The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.

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Malaysia’s PM calls peaceful solution to Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions

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Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has voiced deep concern over escalating tensions between the Afghanistan–Pakistan during a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Anwar said he emphasized Malaysia’s concerns regarding regional stability and urged all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation.

His remarks follow media reports indicating heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan after a series of attacks in October.

During the call, the two leaders also exchanged views on several aspects of Malaysia–Pakistan bilateral relations.

Anwar also briefed Sharif on the ongoing flood situation in Malaysia and similar challenges facing neighboring countries, including Indonesia and Thailand.

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Afghanistan makes major strides in cutting drug trafficking, says Putin

Putin stated that Afghan authorities have “substantially reduced” opium cultivation and are “seriously confronting” drug-related threats from within their borders.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin says Afghanistan has taken “active and effective” steps to curb drug trafficking, noting a significant drop in opium production across the country. He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with India Today during his India trip, highlighting what he described as “visible progress” in Afghanistan’s internal security efforts.

Putin stated that Afghan authorities have “substantially reduced” opium cultivation and are “seriously confronting” drug-related threats from within their borders. He added that Afghanistan has also made important advancements in the fight against terrorism.

Responding to a question about why Russia officially recognized the Islamic Emirate, the Russian president said Afghanistan had been engulfed in civil conflict for many years, but the current authorities now hold control over the country. “This is the reality, and it must be acknowledged,” Putin emphasized.

He further noted that maintaining contact with Afghanistan’s leadership is crucial for shaping events inside the country. “If you want influence, you must engage with the people in charge — and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

Putin’s remarks come as several regional powers continue to recalibrate their diplomatic strategies toward Afghanistan, focusing on stability, counterterrorism, and economic cooperation.

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