For many people, August is a fun time to enjoy summer vacation. But for our family, each Aug. 10 reminds us that another year has passed and my brother, Mahmood Habibi, remains in Taliban custody.

My brother is a U.S. citizen who obtained citizenship after working on civil aviation issues in support of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. After the U.S. left Afghanistan, he returned to work as a contractor for Asia Consultancy Group, which manages the air traffic control system at Kabul’s airport and the cell towers in downtown Kabul.

Shortly after the July 2022 drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, my brother was arrested along with 30 other employees of his company. They were taken to the headquarters of the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban’s feared secret police, and interrogated about the company’s involvement in the strike.

It became apparent that the Taliban believed the CIA used cameras atop the company’s cell towers to target its strike against Zawahiri. Indeed, the missile they used had to be guided to its target by sight, as it used blades rather than a warhead.

Eventually, almost all the 31 people were let go, but not my brother — the only U.S. citizen they have.

We have been fighting........

© The Hill