According to CBS News, Mark Frerichs is a 60-year-old Navy veteran with more than ten years of experience as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan. In January 2020, Frerichs was kidnapped and held by the Haqqani network, which has links to the Taliban.
Bashir Noorzai, a member of the Taliban, said the United States had held him for 17 1/2 years. The notorious drug lord was released to Kabul.
Biden said he spoke to Frerichs’ family and, “Our priority now is to make sure Mark receives a healthy and safe return and is given the space and time he needs to transition back into society.”
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National security officials, the State Department, and Qatari partners worked to secure Frerichs’ release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked those involved for their efforts. According to CBS News, he promised the U.S. would “remain tireless” to free American hostages or those wrongfully detained.
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The swap is one of the most significant prisoner exchanges since Biden took office. It happened five months after an unrelated Russian deal resulted in a Marine veteran’s release.
According to Newsmax, Frerichs’ sister, Charlene Cakora, said, “I am so happy to hear that my brother is safe and on his way home to us. Our family has prayed for this each day of the more than 31 months he has been a hostage. We never gave up hope that he would survive and come home safely to us.”
Newsmax reported that the Taliban-appointed foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, stated in a press conference that the exchange marked the start of a “new era” in the relationship between the Taliban and the United States.
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