Taliban releases American held captive for over a year to ease tensions with US

The Taliban government of Afghanistan released American researcher Dennis Walter Coyle, 64, on Tuesday, ending a 14-month detention.

The leader of Afghanistan, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, personally ordered Coyle’s release after a period of increasing pressure from Washington and appeals from his family. He had been studying languages in the country for the previous 20 years when the Taliban detained him, which his family and Washington argued was arbitrary. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed and celebrated his release.

“Today, after more than a year of captivity in Afghanistan, Dennis Coyle is on his way home,” Rubio said. “President Trump is committed to ending unjust detentions overseas — Dennis joins over 100 Americans who have been freed in the past 15 months under his second term in office.”

Rubio thanked the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for helping with Coyle’s release and their “continued support and advocacy for Americans unjustly detained in