"Three years after Taliban agents arrested an Afghan-born American citizen and took him blindfolded into custody for interrogation, his wife, living in the Salinas Valley, is hopeful they'll be reunited soon. Zulhija Khan hasn't seen or heard from her husband, Mahmood Habibi, as she lives in the small farming community of Soledad with their daughter and her parents. Now Khan and her family are waiting anxiously for any news about closely-guarded prisoner swap negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban government."
"Mahmood Habibi with his daughter Hoorain in June 2022 at a U.S. air base in Qatar. The family had fled Afghanistan. Habibi returned to the country in Aug. 2022 and was arrested by Taliban intelligence agents. (Photo courtesy Zulhija Khan) Though U.S. officials aren't commenting, analysts and those with knowledge of the talks say they are certain to involve Habibi, who'd led Afghanistan's civil aviation ministry before the Taliban toppled the U.S.-backed government and ended the longest war in American history."
"Though the Taliban denies ever arresting him, U.S. officials are unequivocal that Habibi is in their custody. We know that he is innocent and he would not do anything wrong which could bring his life or his family's life at risk, Khan, 33, said at her home on Tuesday. The U.S. government should bring him back. The detention of Habibi, 37, has strained the already-fraught relationship between the U.S. and the Taliban, four years after its fighters retook Kabul in August 2021."
Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-born American and former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation ministry, was arrested by Taliban intelligence after returning to Afghanistan in August 2022. His wife, Zulhija Khan, lives in Soledad with their daughter and parents and has not seen or heard from him since the arrest. Khan and her family await news about closely guarded prisoner-swap negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban after Taliban officials announced a detainee-trade agreement. The Taliban denies arresting Habibi while U.S. officials insist he is in Taliban custody. Habibi's detention has strained U.S.-Taliban relations and hindered diplomatic improvements.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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