U.S. officials referred to the release of several American hostages in Afghanistan as hopeful signs of a broader agreement with the Taliban. This comes after weeks of talks led by U.S. envoys meeting Taliban representatives in Doha.
The officials said that the action indicated it was possible for the Taliban to keep communications open. They also pointed out that this group responded to direct U.S. demands and agreed to demonstrate their readiness for future cooperation.
As family members of the released hostages welcomed the news, U.S. lawmakers called on the administration to work for freedom for all remaining captives. Human rights organizations also demanded that the Taliban stop using noncombatants as bargaining chips in political exchanges.
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Taliban spokesmen said they had released the hostages in order to build confidence and show they were prepared to make peaceful agreements in the future. They also claimed Washington must take similar actions such as relaxing its embargo on Afghan financial institutions.
