Cnn
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An American woman who had been detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban since February is released and is in “good health”, according to a source that knows communication.
Faye Hall was released on Thursday “following an order from the court and with logistical support for Qatar”, which was mediated on behalf of the United States, the source said. She was owned in the country to use a drone without authorization.
“Hall was received at the Qatari Embassy in Kabul and was confirmed in good health after having undergone a series of medical checks. Provisions are currently underway for its return to the United States,” added the source.
An image of a hall sitting alongside Qatari officials was shared on Saturday by Zalmay Khalilzad, the former United States ambassador to Afghanistan.
“The American citizen Faye Hall, who has just come out by the Taliban, is now under the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on the way back. Thank you, #QATAR, for your current and closed partnership,” wrote Khalilzad on X.
His release comes after Trump’s envoy Adam Boehler and Khalilzad went to Kabul to secure the release of American George Glezmann, who was also mediated by the Qataris.
The United States did not have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, having closed its embassy there after the Taliban takeover in August 2022. Instead, Qatar represents the United States in Afghanistan, acting as its “protective power”.
President Donald Trump shared a video on Hall’s social networks on Saturday, which expressed his gratitude and said that she was “so happy” that he was in power.
“Thank you for bringing me home. I have never been so proud to be an American citizen,” said Hall in the video published by Trump.
“Thank you, Faye – So honored by your words!” Trump’s post read.
On Wednesday, the United States withdrawn millions of dollars in bonuses on three Taliban officials, but kept its terrorist designations.
A spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed “There is no current award offer” for the Taliban Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani. However, they “remain designated as specially designated global terrorists (SDGT), and the Haqqani network remains designated as a foreign terrorist organization and an SDGT”.
“It is the United States policy to regularly examine and refine the awards for the legal award offers,” said the spokesperson.
The Haqqani network was responsible for kidnappings and suicide bombings against the United States and its allies for decades, and its members are now part of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened a “very large bonus” on Taliban leaders if they hold more American prisoners than what was known.
“The simple fact of hearing the Taliban will hold more American hostages than what has been reported. If this is true, we will immediately have to place a very large bonus on their senior leaders, perhaps even greater than that which we had on bin Laden,” published Rubio on X.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Jennifer Hansler and Alejandra Jaramillo de CNN contributed to this report.