The release of a US Navy veteran is "non-negotiable" for the Taliban's legitimacy: Biden
Key Takeaways:
- On Sunday, US President Joe Biden urged the Taliban to free US Navy veteran Mark Frerichs, who has been held captive in Afghanistan for the past two years.
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden advised the Taliban to release US Navy veteran Mark Frerichs, whose been held captive for the past two years. In a statement, Biden stated that Frerichs' release was "non-negotiable" before the Taliban's aspirations for legitimacy could be considered.
Frerichs, an Illinois native, was abducted while working on construction projects in Afghanistan. Biden reassured all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas that his administration would work tirelessly until every American held against their will was allowed to return home.
"A civil engineer, he devoted a decade of his life to assisting Afghans. In a statement, Biden said, "He has done nothing wrong."
"Thraying the safety of Americans or any innocent civilians is always unacceptable," the statement continued, "and hostage-taking is a particularly cruel and cowardly act." Before considering the Taliban's aspirations for legitimacy, Mark must be released immediately. This isn't a negotiable point."
In a statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US has brought up Frerichs' case in every gathering with the Taliban.
"[W]e've made it clear that the Taliban's claim to legitimacy is unthinkable while they hold a US citizen hostage. His release is one of our most important, non-negotiable goals. We will continue to send a strong message to the Taliban leadership: release Mark as soon as possible and disavow the practice of kidnapping people, "Price stated in his opinion.
The Sunni Pashtun group took control of Afghanistan in August of last year. Still, due to its history of human rights violations, it has yet to be recognized by the international community.
Following the overthrow of the Western-backed government, Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis, which has been exacerbated by the suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan govt assets, and international sanctions against the Taliban.