For many people, August signals a time for summer vacations. But for my family, August 10th serves as a yearly reminder of my brother, Mahmood Habibi, who remains in the custody of the Taliban.
My brother is a U.S. citizen, having earned his citizenship through his work on civil aviation initiatives that supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Following the U.S. withdrawal, he became a contractor for an Asian Consultant Group, which oversees the air traffic control system at Kabul’s airport and manages a cell tower in downtown Kabul.
After a drone strike in July 2022 that killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, my brother and 30 others from his company were arrested. They were taken to the Intelligence Bureau, the notorious secret police of the Taliban, for intense questioning regarding the company’s involvement in the strike.
It’s been suggested that the Taliban suspects the CIA used cameras on the cell tower to facilitate the strike against Zawahiri. The missiles that were deployed required visual guidance, as they utilized blades in place of warheads.
Ultimately, nearly everyone among the 31 detainees was released—except for my brother.
For three years, we’ve been pleading for his release, and we’re painfully aware he’s in the Taliban’s hands. Others, like Ryan Corbett, George Grezman, Faye Hall, and William McEnti, were arrested and subsequently freed, yet the Taliban has denied ever holding Mahmood.
This claim runs counter to substantial witness accounts and technical evidence affirming his detention. The Taliban even denied any knowledge of him, insisting he must be dead. However, some who were detained alongside him have confirmed his presence there, including an employee from the Asian Consultant Group.
Congress has supported our fight; there are resolutions in both the House and Senate advocating for our cause, led by Zoe Lofgren and Senator Corey Booker. The State Department and the FBI have been very responsive to our situation, and we’ve found the efforts during the Trump administration to be more productive than those under Biden.
The Biden administration has approached the Taliban for assistance, while the Trump administration urged them to release my brother. It feels like we finally have advocates in our corner. The FBI and State Department have collaborated with us and even placed a $5 million reward for information leading to Mahmood’s safe return. The National Security Council is working to create a pathway for his return, and we’re thankful for the advocacy from the Trump administration.
Sadly, it feels like the CIA is not doing everything it could to bring my brother home. They seem to be operating outside the circle of U.S. government action. If something were to happen to my brother in Taliban custody, I believe his blood would be on their hands.
Beyond their apparent inaction, the CIA’s initial misstep was failing to warn the Asian Consultant Group about my brother’s situation, especially since he was in the UAE during the drone strike and shouldn’t have returned to Kabul. The fact that he went back shortly after the incident contradicts any wrongdoing on his part.
With the U.S. cutting off most funding for Afghanistan, we suspect that the CIA continues to provide covert support to the Taliban’s General Directorate for Intelligence. Yet, there seems to be little leverage being used to advocate for my brother’s freedom.
It feels like the CIA is overlooking American citizens in distress. They appear to be caught in a complicated situation that doesn’t align with supporting Mahmood’s release while facing threats from ISIS in Afghanistan.
I say “feels” because, for three years now, the CIA has declined all requests for direct discussions made through the State Department and National Security Council.
We wouldn’t oppose if the CIA wanted to keep its distance while dealing with the Afghan authorities. After all, we’re taxpayers who also oppose terrorism. However, the only way for us to find any peace regarding this situation is for the CIA to leverage its connections to push for our brother’s release.
In the interim, we are hopeful that the House and Senate Intelligence Committees will take up this matter.
Ahmad Shah Habibi is Mahmood Habibi’s older brother.
