{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"VOSA","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng","author_name":"World News","author_url":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/author\/world-news","title":"Afghanistan and the Taliban have reached a deal to release two American University teachers, including a U.S. citizen, in exchange for three Taliban members, the Afghan president said Tuesday. Speaking on live television, Ghani said the exchange is intended to help bring \u201cpeace and stability\u201d to the country. \u201cIn consultations with our international partners, especially the U.S., we have adopted a mechanism and approach to make sure the release of these three men wouldn\u2019t reinforce the .\u2009.\u2009. enemy and intensify attacks by them,\u201d he said. All three prisoners are members of the deadly Haqqani network, a hard-line faction of the Taliban. They include Mali Khan, Hafiz Rashid and Anas Haqqani, a younger brother of the Taliban\u2019s deputy leader and son of the Haqqani network\u2019s founder. They were held in a government detention center at Bagram air base. Ghani added that the\u00a0 decision\u00a0 was made after\u00a0 consultation with\u00a0 the international community and\u00a0 \u00a0United States. Ghani said in his speech that Afghan authorities were aware that the health of the western prisoners was deteriorating in custody and their release was one of the unconditional demands in peace negotiations with the Taliban. Both King and Weeks were teaching English at the American University of Afghanistan, a private, nonprofit university in Kabul, when they were kidnapped close to its campus.\u00a0 The university said it was \u201cencouraged\u201d to hear about the \u201cpossible release\u201d of the two professors. It urged \u201cthe immediate and safe return of our faculty members who have been held in captivity, away from friends and families, for more than three years.\u201d","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"
Afghanistan and the Taliban have reached a deal to release two American University teachers, including a U.S. citizen, in exchange for three Taliban members, the Afghan president said Tuesday. Speaking on live television, Ghani said the exchange is intended to help bring \u201cpeace and stability\u201d to the country. \u201cIn consultations with our international partners, especially the U.S., we have adopted a mechanism and approach to make sure the release of these three men wouldn\u2019t reinforce the .\u2009.\u2009. enemy and intensify attacks by them,\u201d he said. All three prisoners are members of the deadly Haqqani network, a hard-line faction of the Taliban. They include Mali Khan, Hafiz Rashid and Anas Haqqani, a younger brother of the Taliban\u2019s deputy leader and son of the Haqqani network\u2019s founder. They were held in a government detention center at Bagram air base. Ghani added that the\u00a0 decision\u00a0 was made after\u00a0 consultation with\u00a0 the international community and\u00a0 \u00a0United States. Ghani said in his speech that Afghan authorities were aware that the health of the western prisoners was deteriorating in custody and their release was one of the unconditional demands in peace negotiations with the Taliban. Both King and Weeks were teaching English at the American University of Afghanistan, a private, nonprofit university in Kabul, when they were kidnapped close to its campus.\u00a0 The university said it was \u201cencouraged\u201d to hear about the \u201cpossible release\u201d of the two professors. It urged \u201cthe immediate and safe return of our faculty members who have been held in captivity, away from friends and families, for more than three years.\u201d<\/a><\/blockquote>