Rubio designates Afghanistan as 'state sponsor of wrongful detention': 'Despicable tactics'

Fox News - WorldCenter-RightEN 3 min read 100% complete by Landon MionMarch 11, 2026 at 05:55 AM

AI Summary

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" due to the Taliban's practice of unjustly detaining Americans and other foreign nationals. The designation, announced on Monday, accuses the Taliban of using "terrorist tactics" like kidnapping for ransom or policy concessions. Rubio specifically called for the release of Americans Dennis Coyle and Mahmoud Habibi, who have been detained for over a year and since August 2022, respectively. The U.S. is also seeking the return of the remains of Paul Overby, who disappeared near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in 2014. The State Department may restrict U.S. passport use for travel to Afghanistan if the Taliban does not comply with U.S. demands.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Pakistan 40% Asia Consultancy Group 40% Kabul 50% Paul Overby 50% FBI ×260% State Department ×370% Dennis Coyle 70% Mahmoud Habibi ×470% United States ×280% Marco Rubio ×290% Taliban ×10100% Afghanistan ×8100%

Keywords

wrongful detention 100% afghanistan 90% taliban 90% detained americans 80% hostage diplomacy 70% u.s. state department 60% terrorist tactics 60% dennis coyle 50% mahmoud habibi 50% state sponsor 40%