FIRST ON FOX: The Taliban on Thursday released American hostage George Glezmann after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan following negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Digital.
Glezmann departed the Kabul airport Wednesday evening local time on his way to Doha where he will then be met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
The release of the 65-year-old American, abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022, comes after Boehler met with officials from the Afghan foreign ministry alongside Qatari officials.
While Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, the U.S. has not.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was done as a “goodwill gesture” by the Taliban as an indication of “trust” in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington and Kabul.
The exchange differs from the release of two other Americans freed earlier this year, including Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were released in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final hour deal struck by the Biden administration.
Check back on this developing story.
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. It is the most-watched cable news network in the U.S., and as of 2023 it generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Fox News provides a service to 86 countries and territories, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during advertising breaks.
Last updated from