January 1, Finally: Taliban Releases American Citizen

The Taliban has finally released an American citizen and his brother after detaining them since December 18.

The State Department said that Sari Rauf and his brother Anees Khalil, a British citizen with a green card, are headed back to the U.S. by way of Qatar.

“Unjustly holding Americans captive is always unacceptable, and we will not stop until every American who is being unjustly held against their will is able to hug their families once again,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Rauf and Khalil were engaged in humanitarian aid work when they were detained by the Taliban. The extremist group held the brothers in Afghanistan for 105 days due to what Rauf referred to as a “misunderstanding.”

Rauf, a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves, is a founder of the Human First Coalition, said he and his brother “are looking forward to reuniting with our family and loved ones.”

“Ultimately, I hope we can continue to advocate for and seek ways to serve the Afghan people in this critical time of need in Afghanistan,” Rauf said.

Source:

Taliban releases American aid worker detained in Afghanistan