Taliban offers to free US soldier

The Afghan Taliban has said it is ready to hand over a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of its senior operatives being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail said US Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl “is as far as I know in good condition”.

He was speaking from the newly opened Taliban offices in Doha, Qatar.

Sgt Bergdahl disappeared in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

Shaheen said “first has to be the release of detainees”, and after that, the Taliban “want to build bridges of confidence”.

He offered no details on Sgt Bergdahl’s current whereabouts.

He spoke as the US scrambles to save talks with the Taliban after angry complaints from Afghan President Hamid Karzai.