American citizen Fayhall was released by the Taliban after being detained earlier this year.
After the two British and their Afghan translators were detained earlier this year, the Afghan Taliban released the American woman, said former Washington envoy Kabul and Zarmey Khaliltsad.
She is the fourth US citizen to be released by the Taliban since January as part of a Qatar-brokered contract.
“American citizen Faihall, just released by the Taliban, is currently caring for our friend Kabul, Katalis, and will be on his way home soon,” Khalilzad, who was part of the US delegation working on the release of Taliban prisoners of war, wrote to X on Saturday.
Just released by the Taliban, American Citizen Faihall is currently caring for our friend Kabul, Katalis, and is on his way home soon. Thank you #Qatar for your continued and unwavering partnership. #USA #afghanistan pic.twitter.com/cmsbuaq7qr
– Zalmay Khalilzad (@RealzalMaymk) March 29, 2025
Hall’s release comes after George Grezman, an American who has been detained in Afghanistan for more than two years, was released by the Taliban earlier this month and arrived in the United States where he was reunited with his wife and greeted by the welcome party, including his former cellmate.
The Taliban called Grezman’s release a “goodwill gesture” that reflected his willingness to engage with the United States “based on mutual respect and interest.”
The Taliban has previously described the release of US detainees as part of a global “normalization” effort.
The group has remained an international pariah ever since taking over Afghanistan as lightning in August 2021. Some countries continue to operate diplomatic facilities within the country, but none have officially recognized the Taliban government.
The Afghan takeover came when the Joe Biden administration oversaw the withdrawal outlined by US President Donald Trump’s first administration.
Republican leaders negotiated with the Taliban in 2020 to end the war in Afghanistan, and he agreed to a 14-month deadline for withdrawing US and allied forces.
The agreement was controversial in 2021, excluding the Western-backed Afghan government that fell amid a chaotic exit in the US.
The Trump administration has yet to clarify any clear policies on how it will address dealing with the Taliban government during the second term of the president.
Trump was a regular critic of how the Biden administration oversaw withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The bomb attack at Kabul airport on the last day of the chaotic retreat not only killed at least 170 Afghan civilians trying to escape the country, but also killed 13 US soldiers.
