President's Brother, Other Officials Said To Help Free Taliban Fighters

Afghan security officials continue to free senior Taliban fighters for payment or political motives, sources have told Reuters.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his half brother Ahmad Wali Karzai are among those authorizing and requesting releases, the sources said.

The practice is said to be so typical that the Taliban has a committee focused on getting militants released from jail.

For example, Ghulam Haidar, a top insurgent in Kandahar, was released in March just days...