;The Taliban in Afghanistan have held an American hostage after the U.S drawdown had been completed,
The US is “actively working” for the release of an American citizen; who was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan early December; national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.
“This individual went to Afghanistan after the US drawdown had been completed,” said Sullivan on “State of the Union.”
“I’m not going to get into the sensitivity of it,” said Sullivan.
At least eight Western foreigners have been arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan during different incidents in the last two months; marking a sharp escalation of Taliban actions against Western foreigners living in the country.
The number of those held hostage include six British citizens, one of whom is an American legal resident, and one US citizen.
The reason for their detention is unclear, but the US National Security Council has called their detentions “unacceptable”; urging the Taliban group for their release from detention.
“It’s completely unacceptable for the Taliban to hold hostage human beings, and completely antithetical to their purported aspiration to be viewed as a legitimate actor on the world stage,” Horne said. “Through direct and indirect communications with the Taliban, we have urged the release of any and all individuals who are unjustly being held by the Taliban and their proxies. Due to privacy, safety, and operational concerns, we have no further comment at this time.”
Last week, The Washington Post reported on an Army report, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, that detailed senior White House and State Department officials resisting efforts by the military to prepare for the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Also read: Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal, says Taliban takeover ‘not inevitable’
A senior commander said; ” if policymakers had paid attention to the indicators of what was happening on the ground; the military would have been better prepared to conduct a more orderly evacuation.”
According to an interview with NBC Thursday; Biden told Lester Holt he was “rejecting” the report’s findings, adding; “That’s not what I was told.”
Sullivan also on Sunday rejected reports that the administration ignored warnings to evacuate America’s Embassy in Kabul in the final days of the US war in Afghanistan.
“As soon as, the minute our military leaders and diplomats recommended to the President that he do so, literally that minute, he ordered the evacuation,” he said on CBS’ “Face The Nation.”
Also, attempts have been made for the release of Paul and Trevor; two US Americans held hostage in Russia.
“I have communicated to them directly from President Biden; that it is a priority of ours to get them home safely.
The Russians have been willing to engage in various channels; to discuss a way to make that happen,” Sullivan said.
“And I’m not going to share more here because of the obvious sensitivity of it; but we would like to get Paul and Trevor home as soon as possible.”
