Free Republic

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban released another US citizen from custody on Sunday (Sep 28) after a visit by Washington’s hostage envoy Adam Boehler, the US government said. Amir Amiri, who had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024, was freed through Qatari mediation and was on his way to Doha on Sunday evening, a source told Reuters. Boehler’s trip came a week after US President Donald Trump urged the Taliban to hand back control of Bagram air base to Washington, warning that “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan if it refused. Amiri is the fifth American released by the Taliban this...

For ordinary Palestinians Tony Blair's visit was generally seen as little more than a publicity stunt that had less to do with them than the British electorate. Standing near Israel's concrete security barrier in Abu Dis near Jerusalem, Raed Masri, an engineer, watched as Palestinians scrambled to find a way around it to get to schools, hospitals and work. "I wish Blair had spent just half an hour here to see how we have to jump like sheep, to see the humiliation we face every day," he said. "It's all just blah, blah, blah, it's all about him having his...