Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested placing substantial bounties on Taliban leaders, potentially exceeding the one for Osama bin Laden, following reports of additional American hostages in Afghanistan.
• The Taliban recently released two American detainees, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, in exchange for convicted narco-terrorist Khan Mohammed, but at least two other Americans remain in custody.
• Rubio's statement comes as the Taliban denies holding Mahmood Habibi, one of the Americans believed to be detained, despite U.S. Senate resolutions calling for his release.
• The Taliban ambassador warned against threats, emphasizing a preference for dialogue, while highlighting Qatar's mediation role in securing recent prisoner releases.
• The U.S. government continues to negotiate for the release of hostages as tensions rise over the Taliban's demands for the release of a Guantanamo Bay detainee.