Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened the heads of the Taliban with a “very big bounty” after hearing that more American hostages are being held by the group.
“Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported,” the secretary wrote on X.
“If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden,” he threatened.
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The post did not give further details about how many Americans or which members of leadership could be targeted.
Earlier this week, two Americans held by the Taliban were freed in a prisoner swap.
Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were sent back stateside in exchange for convicted narco-terrorist Khan Mohammed in a deal struck in the finals days of the Biden administration.
That deal excluded fellow Americans George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi.
George Glezmann has been in Taliban detention since Dec 5, 2022, and is in gradually deteriorating health, Fox News reports.
In July 2024, there was a Senate resolution calling for the release of the man who has suffered “facial tumors, hypertension, severe malnutrition, and other medical conditions,” as a result of the inhumane conditions to which he’s been subjected.
However, the Taliban has denied being in custody of Mahmood Habibi, according to Fox News.
Mahmood’s brother, Ahmad tells Fox News Digital, “[I] know that my brother is still in Taliban custody. I can’t share too much about that because we don’t want to put him or others at risk.”
The Taliban is still seeking to free one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay — Muhammad Rahim — in a prisoner exchange.
