Washington: The United States has taken a significant step toward improving relations with the Afghan Taliban. Following the release of an American citizen who had been held captive for over two years, the U.S. government has lifted multi-million-dollar bounties on three senior Taliban leaders—Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the removal of these rewards, noting that Sirajuddin and Abdul Aziz are brothers, while Yahya is their cousin. The U.S. had previously offered substantial monetary rewards for information leading to their capture, citing their involvement in cross-border attacks against American and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Hostage Release and Diplomatic Shift
The decision to remove the bounties came shortly after the Taliban released American citizen George Gleisman, who had been detained for two and a half years. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the release on social media, stating that Gleisman, 65, was freed following negotiations mediated by former U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler, Taliban officials, and Qatari diplomats.
Despite the official announcement, the FBI has yet to update its website, where Haqqani’s name still appears on the list of wanted individuals.
Taliban Sees Victory in U.S. Concessions
The Taliban views the lifting of bounties as a diplomatic victory. Taliban official Shafi Azam described the move as the beginning of normalized relations between the U.S. and the Taliban, suggesting that full diplomatic engagement could be possible by 2025.
This development follows the Taliban’s recent takeover of Afghanistan’s embassy in Norway. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, China became the first country to formally recognize its diplomats, with several other nations following suit. The U.S. decision to ease restrictions on Taliban leaders signals a potential shift in international engagement with Afghanistan’s current regime.
