Insisting that its soldier, which had been kept hostage by the Taliban for the past several years, be released immediately, the US acknowledged that the issue along with the release of Taliban prisoners currently under detention in Guantanamo, was one of the issues on the agenda for direct talks with the Taliban.
“We have not made a decision to transfer any Taliban detainees from GuantanamoBay, though we anticipate, that the Taliban will raise this issue,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.
“We will make any such decisions in consultation with Congress and according to US law. But they have stated before, as they’ve stated again today, that this is an issue – the release of these detainees – that they would plan to raise,” Psaki said in response to a question.
“We have been very clear on our feelings about Sergeant Bergdahl and the need for him to be released,” she said, when asked about the Taliban offer of the release of its soldier in exchange of five Taliban prisoners.
