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The slow, hard-won news that Americans detained by the Taliban are finally making their way back to freedom should never be taken for granted. For decades our citizens have been pawns in foreign games, but when one of our own comes home after brutal confinement it reminds every patriot why strength and resolve matter in foreign policy.
One recent case that should prick every conscience was the release of George Glezmann, who was held for more than two years before being returned through tough diplomacy and pressure from our negotiators and partners. This was not the result of appeasement; it was the result of relentless, strategic engagement that refused to leave an American behind.
At the same time, too many families are still waiting and suffering while the Taliban practices hostage diplomacy in the shadows, holding Americans in near-total isolation with no charges or due process. Take the case of Dennis Coyle, an academic detained without explanation and confined in near-solitary conditions since January 2025 — his family’s anguish is a national disgrace that should shame those who tolerate weakness abroad.
Local communities and loved ones have kept these stories alive and pressured the government to act, demonstrating the power of ordinary citizens who refuse to forget their neighbors. Reporting from family and local outlets shows the relentless work being done behind the scenes to secure releases and hold those responsible accountable, even when the mainstream media looks away.
The administration must keep turning the screws where it counts: designating Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention and using every diplomatic, economic, and intelligence tool to secure the remaining Americans’ return. Our hostage-recovery teams have shown they can and will bring people home when backed by firm policy and clear consequences for hostage-taking regimes.
Americans should demand no less than full accountability and the safe return of every citizen held abroad; this is not a partisan plea but a fundamental duty of government to its people. Let these returns be the beginning of a new chapter where American power is used wisely and decisively to protect our citizens, restore dignity to suffering families, and remind the world that the United States never abandons its own.
