he United States has lifted its $10 million bounty on Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, a move Afghan officials say signals a shift in US-Taliban relations. Haqqani, a key leader of the Haqqani Network, had long been sought by US authorities for orchestrating deadly attacks, including a 2008 Kabul hotel bombing that killed six people, including an American citizen.
His name, along with those of Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani, has been removed from the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice website, though he remains listed on the FBI’s wanted list as of Sunday.
The decision to lift the bounty came shortly after the Taliban released George Glezmann, a US citizen who had been held captive for over two years.
US officials acknowledge shift
Reacting to the development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Glezmann’s release, stating:
“George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to being reunited with his wife Aleksandra. Welcome home, George!”
The timing of the bounty removal has led analysts to speculate that it was part of a broader diplomatic engagement between Washington and the Taliban.
Taliban hails move as progress
Taliban Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani confirmed that the US had revoked bounties placed on three high-profile figures within the group.
“These three individuals are two brothers and one paternal cousin,” Qani told The Associated Press.
A senior Taliban Foreign Ministry official, Zakir Jalaly, described the decision as a positive step in improving ties between the US and the Taliban.
“The recent developments in Afghanistan-U.S. relations are a good example of the pragmatic and realistic engagement between the two governments,” said Jalaly.
Haqqani Network’s role and history
Sirajuddin Haqqani has been sanctioned by the United Nations since 2007 for his leadership of the Haqqani Network, a US-designated terrorist organisation. The network was responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against Afghan and US forces, including bombings targeting the Indian and US embassies and the Afghan presidential palace.
Despite its violent past, the Taliban has sought to portray Haqqani as a moderate figure within their government. He has traveled internationally in the past year, with the UN allowing his trips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
As the Taliban seeks legitimacy on the global stage, the lifting of bounties on key figures marks a significant moment in Afghanistan’s evolving geopolitical landscape.