'Enduring commitment': Biden celebrates thriving prisoner swap with Taliban

Christian Datoc

September 19, 10:20 AM September 19, 10:20 AM

President Joe Biden pointed to Mark Frerichs's release as evidence of his administration's "enduring determination" to releasing Individuals overseas.

Frerichs, a Navy veteran who was kidnapped in Afghanistan in early 2020, was released from Taliban captivity Monday in a prisoner swap for Haji Noorzai, a popular Taliban member serving a 17-calendar year drug sentence in the United States.

BIDEN TELLS GRINER AND WHELAN Families HE IS 'COMMITTED' TO SECURING THEIR Launch

Biden referred to as Monday's advancement "the end result of a long time of tireless do the job by focused public servants throughout our governing administration and other husband or wife governments" and vowed to "make guaranteed Mark receives a healthful and safe and sound return" and assist his "transition back into culture."

"My Administration continues to prioritize the secure return of all Individuals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas, and we will not halt right up until they are reunited with their families," the president wrote in a statement. "We have a great deal a lot more perform to do in many other cases, but Mark’s launch demonstrates our enduring motivation. Like our function to free Individuals held in Burma, Haiti, Russia, Venezuela, and in other places, it is our duty to do all we can to provide our individuals property."

Frerichs's launch arrived just times immediately after Biden fulfilled with the people of WNBA star Brittney Griner and retired Maritime Paul Whelan at the White Household. Equally keep on being in Russian captivity.

Whelan has been jailed for practically four decades considering the fact that getting accused of espionage by the Kremlin, while Griner is serving a drug-related sentence just after currently being detained at the start off of Russia's war in Ukraine. The pair continue being the greatest-profile Us residents now held in international captivity.

"We all admire the bravery of the Whelan and Griner family members in the facial area of these unimaginable situations, and we keep on being dedicated to reuniting them with their loved types," the White Home reported next Biden's Friday assembly with the people.