US Labels Afghanistan Sponsor of Wrongful Detention

0:00It's March 10th, let's get into the latest global headlines. The U.S. State Department recently labeled Afghanistan a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing the Taliban of holding foreigners to gain leverage from other nations. This puts Afghanistan in the same category as Iran, with the U.S. pointing to what it calls hostage diplomacy. Taliban officials quickly push back, insisting they only arrest people for breaking Afghan laws, not for any deals. Earlier this week, Afghanistan's foreign ministry called the U.S. move regrettable, but said talks with Washington on detainee issues remain. Constructive. They stressed that no foreigners are held for bargaining, and many get released after legal processes wrap up. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Americans to avoid travel to Afghanistan, saying the Taliban uses kidnapping for ransom or policy wins. He specifically called for freeing two Americans, academic researcher Dennis Coil, detained since January 2025 in Afghan-American.

1:00Businessman Mahmoud Habibi, who vanished in 2022. The FBI and Habibi's family believe Taliban forces took him, though the group denies it. Back in July, Taliban reps at a UN meeting in Doha, floated swapping Afghans at Guantanamo Bay for detained Americans. In September 2025, the Taliban did release U.S. citizen Amir Amiri from prison, a step scene as building better ties with the United. States. Still, tensions linger over these cases. This episode is supported by our sponsor. Some people meditate, I just lay down and press play, and so L.I. SullyPillo.com.