US ready to put bounties on Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, Rubio warns

Published Jan 27 Updated Jan 27

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By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to put bounties on the heads of Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders on Saturday, Jan. 25. The threat came just days after the United States and the Taliban-run Afghan government swapped prisoners under the former Biden administration.

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What Rubio said

The freshly sworn-in top U.S. diplomat took to social media to issue the warning to the Taliban.

Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported. If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) January 25, 2025

Rubio said he heard “the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported,” adding, “If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden.”

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Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the U.S. bounty for Osama bin Laden soared to $50 million. However, no one was ever awarded the money because U.S. Seal Team 6 killed the terrorist leader in 2011.

Rubio did not provide details on who the Americans may be, but it is believed the Taliban has at least two Americans still in its custody.

Background on Taliban and U.S. negotiations

In the latest deal, the Biden administration freed Khan Mohammed, who was convicted of narco-terrorism charges, serving a life sentence in California. In exchange, the Taliban gave up Ryan Corbett, an American who had been imprisoned in Afghanistan since 2022.

The Taliban also released an American whose detention wasn’t previously known until the prisoner swap, William McKenty.

How the Taliban responded

In response to Rubio’s bounty suggestion, the Taliban’s ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, warned the secretary of state on Monday, Jan. 27, against such threats.

Shaheen said it is the policy of the Afghan government to solve problems peacefully through dialogues and pointed to the recent release of Canadian David Lavery from an Afghan jail, after successful negotiations made possible by Qatar, as an example of this method in action.

During President Donald Trump’s first term in office, the administration negotiated directly with the Taliban, in a major break from past presidential administrations.

Tags: Afghanistan, Donald Trump, Kabul, Marco Rubio, Middle East, Middle East Crisis, Secretary of State, Taliban, Terrorism, Terrorist Attack, War, White House, White House National Security Council

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

U-S SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO SAYS THE U-S IS READY TO PUT BOUNTIES ON THE HEADS OF AFGHANISTAN’S TALIBAN LEADERS.

THE THREAT COMES JUST DAYS AFTER THE U-S AND TALIBAN-RUN AFGHAN GOVERNMENT SWAPPED PRISONERS UNDER THE FORMER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

THE FRESHLY-SWORN-IN TOP U-S DIPLOMAT TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO ISSUE THE WARNING TO THE TALIBAN.

SAYING HE HEARD “THE TALIBAN IS HOLDING MORE AMERICAN HOSTAGES THAN HAS BEEN REPORTED.”

ADDING, “IF THIS IS TRUE, WE WILL HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY PLACE A VERY BIG BOUNTY ON THEIR TOP LEADERS, MAYBE EVEN BIGGER THAN THE ONE WE HAD ON BIN LADEN.

FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11TH TERROR ATTACKS, THE U-S BOUNTY FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN SOARED TO 50 MILLION DOLLARS, THOUGH NO ONE WAS EVER-AWARDED THE MONEY AFTER SEAL TEAM SIX KILLED THE TERRORIST LEADER

RUBIO DID NOT PROVIDE DETAILS ON WHO THE AMERICANS MAY BE BUT IT’S BELIEVED THE TALIBAN HAS AT LEAST TWO AMERICANS STILL IN ITS CUSTODY.

IN THE LATEST DEAL, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FREED KHAN MOHAMMED, WHO WAS CONVICTED OF NARCO-TERRORISM CHARGES AND SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN THE U-S, IN EXCHANGE FOR AMERICAN RYAN CORBETT, WHO WAS IMPRISONED IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE 2022.

THE TALIBAN ALSO RELEASED AN AMERICAN WHOSE DETENTION WASN’T PREVIOUSLY KNOWN UNTIL THE PRISONER SWAP, WILLIAM MCKENTY.

IN RESPONSE TO RUBIO’S BOUNTY SUGGESTION, THE TALIBAN’S AMBASSADOR TO QATAR SUHAIL SHAHEEN WARNED THE SECRETARY OF STATE AGAINST SUCH THREATS.

SAYING IT’S THE POLICY OF THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS PEACEFULLY THROUGH DIALOGUE.

SHAHEEN POINTED TO THE RECENT RELEASE OF CANADIAN DAVID LAVERY FROM AN AFGHANI JAIL AFTER NEGOTIATIONS MADE POSSIBLE BY QATAR AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS METHOD IN ACTION.

DURING TRUMP’S FIRST TERM IN OFFICE, THE ADMINISTRATION NEGOTIATED DIRECTLY WITH THE TALIBAN, IN A MAJOR BREAK FROM PAST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.