British couple released in Afghanistan; Taliban act under direct pressure from Trump.
After nearly eight months of detention in Afghanistan, Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, British citizens who have lived in the country for more than two decades, have finally been released.
The couple were arrested by the Taliban in Bamyan province on February 1st of this year and spent months in limbo and detention.
Informed sources say their release was possible through Qatari mediation, but some analysts believe that the Taliban’s decision to release the couple, which coincided with the presence of the US Special Representative for Prisoners’ Affairs, Adam Buhler, and Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul, was made under direct pressure from Donald Trump’s statements.
In recent days, Trump has emphasized in public statements that the US takes Bagram Air Base and its citizens seriously and that any action by the Taliban could have serious consequences for them.
Trump’s direct threats and warnings appear to have forced the Taliban to show flexibility by releasing the couple.
