Joe Biden asks Taliban to release "last American hostage"

US President Joe Biden demanded on Sunday that the Taliban "immediately release" the man believed to be the militants' final American hostage, saying that acknowledging the militants' rule in Afghanistan would be impossible until he was free.

The news came on the two-year anniversary of the kidnapping of Mark Frerichs, a US Navy veteran who worked as a civil engineer in Afghanistan for a decade.

"Before any consideration of the Taliban's aspirations for legitimacy, Mark must be released immediately. This is a non-negotiable point "In a statement, Biden said.

"Endangering the safety of Americans or any other innocent civilians is never acceptable," he continued, "and hostage-taking is a particularly brutal and cowardly act."

In August, the United States concluded its withdrawal from Afghanistan, bringing an end to a conflict that began with the US-led invasion in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks and ended with the Taliban regaining control.

The Taliban has been reminded repeatedly by Washington that they must "earn" legitimacy before being acknowledged by the international community.

According to reports, Taliban negotiators have proposed a prisoner swap in which Frerichs would be exchanged for Bashir Noorzai, an Afghan tribal chieftain and accused Taliban associate who is serving a life sentence in the United States for importing heroin into the nation.

In an editorial article published Thursday in The Washington Post, Frerichs' sister, Charlene Cakora, begged with Biden to bring him home.

"Either the US administration makes this exchange or my brother's life is not saved. Every day that Mark is not brought home is another day that he is in danger "Cakora penned the piece.

Last August, after the United States completed its withdrawal, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the State Department and other US officials were working to have Frerichs released.

"They've continued to press the Taliban for his release, raising the status in senior level talks," she explained.