Media reported US attempts to exchange bin Laden's accomplice for three of its citizens

The US administration is negotiating with the Taliban (the organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities) on the exchange of an alleged associate of the liquidated leader of the terrorist group "Al-Qaeda" (banned in Russia) Osama bin Laden for three American citizens who are held in Afghanistan. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on January 7.

According to it, it is about the high-ranking terrorist Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, imprisoned in the U.S. prison Guantanamo Bay. Supposedly, al-Afghani was a senior aide to bin Laden. The Biden administration on Nov. 14 offered the Taliban to exchange the militant for U.S. citizens George Glezman, Ryan Corbett and Mahmoud Habibi, who have been held in Afghanistan since 2022.

WSJ specifies that the current U.S. President Joe Biden has not yet decided on such an exchange. At the same time, a member of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, Republican Michael McCaul called such a deal not very favorable. In addition, the American leader risks facing criticism by handing over such a high-ranking terrorist to the Taliban.

On the same day, The Sun reported that Biden had released 11 Yemeni nationals from Guantanamo Bay, two of whom were believed to be bin Laden's bodyguards. One of them, Moat Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, continues to hold extremist views. The other, Suhail Abdul Anam al Sharabi, is suspected of trying to hijack a plane in Southwest Asia on Sept. 11, 2001.

Cartoon Democracy: Biden pardons Hunter's son in defiance of the law

The outgoing US president's decision was not supported even by fellow party members

Earlier, on Dec. 23, Biden pardoned 37 U.S. citizens on death row. They were commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The White House statement on this event indicated that the current American president is an opponent of the death penalty.

US President-elect Republican Donald Trump condemned Biden's decision on the same day, recalling that these prisoners were sentenced to death for murder, and pardoning these people is a slap in the face to their victims. In addition, on December 25, the politician said that these convicts do not deserve a pardon or a Merry Christmas and can just "go to hell."