Turkish Engineer Released by Taliban
After 32 days in captivity, a Turkish engineer kidnapped by Taliban forces was released unharmed and briefly presented to journalists, flanked by beaming Afghan officials and a group of turbaned tribal elders who negotiated his release.
Saturday’s freeing of Hasan Onal, 45, was an important political victory for the government of President Hamid Karzai, which advocated patient talks with Onal’s captors but refused to free a group of Taliban prisoners as the kidnappers had demanded. Afghan officials said Onal was freed “without conditions” after days of negotiations.
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