Mujahid Denies Holding Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi

The Taliban have denied accusations by the United States regarding the detention of Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman and former head of Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Authority. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on Wednesday that Habibi is not in their custody and that no Taliban-linked agency has detained him.

Mujahid added that, following requests from Habibi's family, internal investigations were conducted across all relevant departments. However, the Taliban claim to have found no evidence or trace of his arrest.

This statement contradicts earlier assertions from U.S. officials, who allege that Habibi was arrested by Taliban intelligence officers in Kabul on August 10, 2022-just two days after a U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Sherpur.

According to reports, Habibi was taken from near his home in Kabul, along with his driver and 29 employees of the Asia Consultancy Group, a private telecommunications firm. While all others were later released, Habibi and one other individual remain missing.

Former CIA officer Sarah Adams has publicly claimed that the Taliban handed Habibi over to al-Qaeda and that he may face execution. Similar concerns were echoed by his brother, Ahmad Shah Habibi, who told local media that a Taliban intelligence source informed him of the handover to al-Qaeda.

The FBI continues to investigate Habibi's disappearance and has issued an appeal for public assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice is offering up to $5 million for information that could help locate him, as part of its“Rewards for Justice” program.

Nearly two years since his disappearance, Mahmood Shah Habibi's fate remains unknown. His case has become a symbol of growing anxiety over the safety of dual nationals in Afghanistan and has further strained diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and the Taliban.

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