Washington—Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement:

"As someone who opposed the transfer of five high-profile Taliban detainees as part of last year’s prisoner swap, I’m pleased the governments of Qatar, the United States and Afghanistan are discussing options to prevent these five individuals from rejoining the Taliban and have agreed to prevent them from leaving Qatar in the interim.

"This is a crucial time for the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I believe the records of these five individuals indicate they have held senior positions in the Taliban, and in my view have a high likelihood of returning to the Taliban. Two of the detainees were affiliated with the Taliban military, one a high-ranking military officer. Two others served in the Taliban regime, one as interior minister. And the fifth detainee was a high-ranking intelligence officer.

"I urge the U.S. government to find a solution to the problem that will prevent these five former detainees from returning to the fight.”

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