American freed by Taliban reunited with wife, former cellmate, in US

WASHINGTON: George Glezmann, an American detained in Afghanistan for more than two years before being released by the Taliban, arrived in the United States on Friday, where he reunited with his wife and was greeted by a welcoming party that included his former cellmate.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Ryan Corbett, another former prisoner of the Taliban who had been held in the same cell as Glezmann, was at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington, to greet Glezmann.

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“After a brief ceremony, George and (his wife) Aleksandra flew to another location in the United States to rest and recover,” Bruce told a regular State Department news briefing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Thursday confirming the release of Glezmann. The American was detained by Taliban in 2022 while visiting Kabul as a tourist.

A source told Reuters he left Afghanistan aboard a Qatari aircraft on Thursday evening bound for Qatar, following direct talks between US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials in Kabul.

Bruce said the US is grateful for the support of the government of Qatar in bringing Glezmann home. She said the United Arab Emirates also played a role in facilitating the initial discussions.

In a statement, the Taliban called Glezmann’s release a “goodwill gesture” reflecting its willingness to engage with the United States “on the basis of mutual respect and interests.”

Bruce said the United States remains “deeply concerned” about the well-being of Mahmood Habibi and other Americans still believed to be in custody in Afghanistan.

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Thursday’s meeting in Kabul marked the highest-level direct US-Taliban talks since President Donald Trump came to power in January.

Boehler met with the Taliban administration’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.