Biden speaks with aid workers freed from Afghanistan

President Biden spoke by phone with humanitarian aid worker Safiullah Rauf and his brother Anees Khalil on Thursday, the White House said, days after the Biden administration secured the release of the two men from the Taliban.  

“President Biden spoke by phone today with Safiullah Rauf and Anees Khalil, a U.S. citizen and a lawful permanent resident, respectively, who were released last week after being unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” the White House said in a statement Thursday evening.  

“The President welcomed Safiullah and Anees home and praised the efforts of all who worked to secure their release.” 

Rauf, who is a U.S. citizen and an Afghan American naval reservist, and Khalil, who is a green card holder, were taken prisoner by the Taliban in December while conducting humanitarian work in Afghanistan.  

The two were released last Friday after more than three months of negotiations by the U.S. government. The two were brought to Qatar late last week before flying home to the U.S., the State Department said at the time. 

“We are grateful for the efforts of all those who worked to secure their release, but more work remains,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said last week. “Unjustly holding Americans captive is always unacceptable, and we will not stop until every American who is being unjustly held against their will is able to hug their families once again.” 

The brothers founded the Human First Coalition and were working to evacuate Afghans from Kabul and provide humanitarian relief to Afghans following the collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban last summer as the U.S. withdrew from the two-decade war there.  

They were among a handful of Western citizens the Taliban has arrested in the period since Kabul fell. CNN reported in February that at least six British citizens had also been arrested by the Taliban in the previous two months.  

The Taliban is also still holding U.S. Navy veteran Mark Frerichs, who was kidnapped in early 2020 before the Trump administration signed its agreement with the Taliban.