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Colin Rutherford
Colin Rutherford
Born	December 21, 1983 (age 41)
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Auditor
Known for	Being kidnapped by the Taliban

Colin Mackenzie Rutherford is a Canadian who was held captive by the Taliban.^[2] In October 2010 Rutherford traveled to Afghanistan to pursue an interest in the country's ancient civilizations. Police informed his family he had been captured on November 4, 2010. The Taliban made a video of Rutherford public in May 2011.

Release

Rutherford was freed on January 11, 2016—the fourteenth anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.^[3] Neither Stephane Dion, Canada's new Minister of Foreign Affair, or Rutherford's mother, Wendy, agreed to an interview on the day of Rutherford's release. But his brother Brian shared his happiness, via email. Dion's press release thanked the government of Qatar for their help.

In June 2015, retired Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Jason Amerine testified before the United States Senate Armed Forces Committee about the American military's failure to free hostages in Afghanistan.^[4] Amerine told Congress he had prepared a rescue plan for Rutherford, and American Caitlin Coleman and her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle. The National Post reported that Amerine said his rescue plan was "scuttled by U.S. government infighting".

Aftermath

Three days after his release Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that Rutherford hadn't yet returned to Canada.^[5] During his captivity experienced commentators had asserted that the Taliban had probably moved him to Pakistan's Tribal Areas, but the Taliban released in Ghazni province, and said that this is where he had been held.

Trudeau, like Dion, thanked Qatar for their assistance.^[5] Taliban spokesmen confirmed that Qatar had played a role.

The Taliban spokesmen said they had released Rutherford "on grounds of humanitarian sympathy and sublime Islamic ethics."^[5]

Yahoo News quoted comments from Christian Leuprecht, of Canada's Royal Military College and Queen's University.^[6] He suggested the Taliban had released Rutherford as a sign of good faith, in order to win a place at the peace talk table. He pointed out the brutal way Daesh executes prisoners, and asserted the Taliban wanted to remind those negotiating peace that they weren't brutal in the same way Daesh were.

"[The release of Rutherford] is a tacit way for the Afghan Taliban to signal that 'We're not just the bad guys anymore. We might have taken him hostage, but we didn't execute him, we didn't mistreat him.' It's a way of signalling to the world community that, look, 'Maybe you should be talking to us.'"^[6]

However, according to The New York Times, Rutherford was picked up by the FBI and United States Army Rangers after Qatar arranged a prisoner swap with the Afghan government.^[7]^[8]

References

^ "Taliban release video of captured Canadian | Timmins Press". Archived from the original on 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
^ "Family of Canadian held by Taliban appeals to captors: Toronto man kidnapped in Afghanistan 14 months ago". CBC News. 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2016-01-11. Brian Rutherford, whose brother Colin was taken hostage during a vacation to Afghanistan in November 2010, told CBC News his family hopes to get in touch with his captors to find a solution.
^ "Canadian Colin Rutherford freed after 5 years in Taliban captivity: Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion announces that Toronto man released". CBC News. 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11. Colin Rutherford, who was taken hostage while on vacation in Afghanistan in 2010, has been released from captivity, according to a statement released by Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion.
^ David Pugliesse (2015-06-12). "U.S. government botched chance to rescue Canadian hostages in Pakistan, American soldier says". National Post. Retrieved 2016-01-11. Amerine told a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday that during his efforts, he obtained details about Colin Rutherford of Toronto; U.S. citizen Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle of Ottawa; and U.S. citizen Warren Weinstein.
^ ^a ^b ^c Diana Mehta (2016-01-14). "Toronto man held by Taliban recovering after ordeal, Trudeau says". CBC News. Retrieved 2016-01-14. Justin Trudeau's comments about Colin Rutherford offered a hint at the condition of the man who was abruptly set free in Afghanistan earlier this week.
^ ^a ^b "Taliban release of Colin Rutherford could be linked to peace talks". Yahoo News. 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
^ Goldman, Adam (12 October 2017). "American Woman and Family Held for 5 Years in Afghanistan Freed from Militants". The New York Times.
^ Goldman, Adam; Schmitt, Eric (2017-10-17). "Navy SEALs Were Ready if Pakistan Failed to Free Family Held as Hostages". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-31.