Biden administration calls on Taliban to release American captive

President Joe Biden and the U.S. State Department on Sunday issued statements calling on the Taliban to release Mark Frerichs, an American who has been held captive in Afghanistan for two years.

The Taliban cannot gain legitimacy while Frerichs is held captive, the Biden administration said. 

Frerichs, a U.S. Navy veteran, spent a decade as a civil engineer helping Afghans before being taken captive on Jan. 31, 2020, by the Haqqani network, a Taliban ally.

"Threatening the safety of Americans or any innocent civilians is always unacceptable, and hostage-taking is an act of particular cruelty and cowardice," Biden said Sunday. "The Taliban must immediately release Mark before it can expect any consideration of its aspirations for legitimacy. This is not negotiable."

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the United States has mentioned Frerichs "in every meeting with the Taliban." He said it is "impossible to consider" giving the Taliban legitimacy while Frerichs is captive. 

"His release is among our core, non-negotiable priorities," Price said. "We will continue to send a clear message to Taliban leadership: immediately and safely release Mark and disavow the practice of hostage-taking."

Biden promised his administration "will continue to work steadfastly until every American being unjustly held against their will comes home."

Frerichs'  family called on Biden in September 2021 to fire U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad for appearing to ignore Frerichs' kidnapping, Just the News reported.

Charlene Cakora, Frerich's sister, published an op-ed in The Washington Post last week criticizing the Biden administration for not doing more to rescue her brother. 

"We evacuated the country in 2021, but no Mark. Since our withdrawal, we have allocated nearly $800 million in aid for Afghanistan since October, but no Mark," she wrote, adding that the two-year anniversary marks "376 days that the [Biden] administration has had the ability to act to bring my brother home and has not made a decision."