By The U.S. secured the release of two Americans held in Afghanistan in former President Joe Biden’s final hours in office in exchange for the release of an Afghan Taliban member in U.S. custody, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to NBC News.
Though the agreement with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers was reached while Biden was in the White House, Americans Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were not released until early Tuesday local time after President Donald Trump had been sworn in.
There are differences of opinion as to the reason for the unexpected delay in the Americans’ release, one of the sources said.
The Taliban had earlier confirmed that they were holding Corbett, an American arrested in Afghanistan in August 2022 and whom the State Department had classified as wrongfully detained.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” his family said in a statement on their website early Tuesday.
Taliban officials said two unidentified U.S. nationals had been released in exchange for Khan Muhammad, who was arrested in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar about two decades ago and who had been serving a life sentence in California.
The two sources with direct knowledge of the deal also said that Muhammad had been released.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Muhammad was convicted in 2008 on narcoterrorism and heroin distribution charges. It said Muhammad had sought to acquire rockets for attacks on Americans and their allies in Afghanistan, and purchased opium meant to be converted into heroin and sent to the United States.
The Corbett family thanked both Biden and Trump, as well as members of their teams including their national security advisers, Jake Sullivan and Mike Waltz, and their special envoys for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler and Roger Carstens.
The Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment.
Negotiations have been ongoing for two years, a third diplomat with knowledge of the release said, with several rounds of talks between the U.S. and Taliban mediated by the Qataris in Doha.
Qatar played a sizable role in facilitating the Americans’ release, one of the sources with direct knowledge said, adding that Carstens, who led the negotiations for the U.S., was in Doha for the exchange.
Both the Corbett family and the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed thanks to the government of Qatar for its mediation efforts.
Ryan and Anna Corbett in Puget-sur-Argens, France, in September 2021.Courtesy Anna Corbett
Corbett, a longtime resident of Afghanistan before the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in 2021, was visiting the country at the time of his arrest. He was said to be experiencing declining health during his detention.
Less is known about McKenty, whose family had kept his case private.
The Corbett family said they were thinking of those still waiting for the return of other Americans held in Afghanistan, including the families of George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi, whose release has recently been reported as a possibility.
“It was our hope that Ryan, George and Mahmoud would be returned to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them,” they said. “We recognize the immense privilege of our family’s reunion today, and pledge to keep praying — and fighting — for George and Mahmoud’s swift release.”
The Taliban had said the accusations against the three Americans included spying and preaching Christianity in Afghanistan, which the Taliban rules according to Islamic law.
Biden spoke with family members of Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi this month.
During his four years in office, Biden brought back more than 75 American citizens and residents detained around the world, including in prisoner swaps with China and Russia.
Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong, Abigail Williams from Washington and Mushtaq Yusufzai from Peshawar, Pakistan.
