Taliban Offers to Release U.S. Soldier Held Since 2009 In Exchange For Senior Operatives at Gitmo

Peace talks started earlier this week

The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a U.S. army soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesman for the group said Thursday.

The offer follows this week's official opening of a Taliban political office in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar.