In a statement, President Biden called on the Taliban to release American hostages

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

On Sunday, Joe Biden urged the Taliban terrorist group in Afghanistan to release a U.S. civil engineer who was captured two years ago and claimed to be the last American hostage held by the terrorist group.

59-year-old Mark Frerichs, a U.S. Navy veteran from Lombard, Illinois, who spent a decade working on development projects in Afghanistan, was captured by Haqqani network a month before U.S. troops were due to leave in February 2020, a brutal Taliban group known for some of the deadliest attacks during the war.

Hostage-taking embodies cruelty and cowardice, as is the threat to the safety of innocent civilians or any victim of terrorism," Biden said in a statement.

"Before any consideration of Taliban legitimacy can be granted, Mark must be released immediately. This is not negotiable."

U.S. troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan in August, drawing sharp criticism from Republican politicians and Democrats alike. Biden's approval ratings were dented as a consequence.

1st Feb 2022