The Taliban has held American George Glezmann hostage for nearly two years. The Trump administration, which only took over in January, brought good news to the prisoner Thursday as they negotiated his release: he is now on his way back to the U.S.
Glezmann was a tourist in Kabul, Afghanistan when he was nabbed by the terrorist group. Now his nightmare is over:
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 in direct talks alongside Qatari officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed him back:
George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra. Welcome home, George! 🇺🇸
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 20, 2025
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Trump special hostage envoy Adam Boehler negotiated the deal with Qatari and Taliban officials:
Boehler and former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman and senior adviser to the prime minister Majed Al Ansari as well as Afghanistan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to finalize Glezmann’s release earlier Thursday.
Glezmann later left Kabul en route to Doha following weeks of three-party talks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also celebrated yet another win by the administration:
🚨ANOTHER AMERICAN COMING HOME!
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 20, 2025
'US man George Glezmann, held by Taliban for over 2 years, finally released thanks to Trump negotiators'https://t.co/rkA0BrvwH1
There are still an unknown number of American hostages left in the war-torn country. Qatar, though not always acting with America’s best interests in mind, has been helping with the negotiations:
President Trump “has made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority,” added Khalilzad on X. “It is an honor to assist in this important effort.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry has facilitated discussions between the Taliban and the US since former President Joe Biden withdrew American forces and diplomats from Afghanistan in August 2021.
The source said that Qatar’s primary role is to ensure “humanitarian corridors remain open” to and from Afghanistan.
The wound that President Joe Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal left can never truly be healed, but at least some wrongs can be addressed. Welcome home, George Glezmann.
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