U.S. considers handing over prominent, "high-risk" Taliban member in "confidence building" measure for peace negotiations

Jihad Watch  "U.S. mulls transfer of Taliban prisoner in perilous peace bid," by Mark Hosenball, Missy Ryan and Warren Strobel for Reuters, December 29:

 The potential hand-over of Mohammed Fazl, a 'high-risk detainee' held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison since early 2002, has set off alarms on Capitol Hill and among some U.S. intelligence officials.

As a senior commander of the Taliban army, Fazl is alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.  (Emphasis in the original)

 US mulls transfer of Taliban prisoner in peace bid   ""I can tell you that the hair on the back of my neck went up when they walked in with this a month ago, and there's been very, very strong letters fired off to the administration," the official said on condition of anonymity..."


The Obama administration is considering transferring to Afghan custody a senior Taliban official suspected of major human rights abuses as part of a remote bid to improve the prospects of a peace deal in Afghanistan, Reuters has learned.