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| US hands over control of Bagram jail to Afghans | US hands over control of Bagram jail to Afghans |
| (25 days later) | |
| American officials have handed over formal control of Afghanistan's only large-scale US-run prison to Kabul, even as disagreements between the two countries over the Taliban and terror suspects held there marred the transfer. | American officials have handed over formal control of Afghanistan's only large-scale US-run prison to Kabul, even as disagreements between the two countries over the Taliban and terror suspects held there marred the transfer. |
| The handover ceremony on Monday took place at the prison next to the sprawling US airfield at Bagram, north of Kabul. President Hamid Karzai has hailed the transfer as a victory for Afghan sovereignty. | The handover ceremony on Monday took place at the prison next to the sprawling US airfield at Bagram, north of Kabul. President Hamid Karzai has hailed the transfer as a victory for Afghan sovereignty. |
| Bagram, also known as the Parwan Detention Facility, has been the focus of controversy in the past but has never had the notoriety of the prisons at Guantánamo Bay or Abu Ghraib in Iraq. | Bagram, also known as the Parwan Detention Facility, has been the focus of controversy in the past but has never had the notoriety of the prisons at Guantánamo Bay or Abu Ghraib in Iraq. |
| Earlier this year, the prison's image was tarnished when hundreds of Qur'ans and other religious materials were taken from its library and sent to be burned in a pit at the military base. The event triggered anti-American protests across Afghanistan and led to the deaths of six US soldiers. | Earlier this year, the prison's image was tarnished when hundreds of Qur'ans and other religious materials were taken from its library and sent to be burned in a pit at the military base. The event triggered anti-American protests across Afghanistan and led to the deaths of six US soldiers. |
| "We are telling the Afghan president and the Afghan people that today is a proud day," said Afghan army general Ghulam Farouk, who now heads the prison. | "We are telling the Afghan president and the Afghan people that today is a proud day," said Afghan army general Ghulam Farouk, who now heads the prison. |
| The US had already given Afghanistan authority over most of the 3,000 detainees held at the prison before 9 March, when the countries signed a handover agreement. The prison's current detainee population under US control is not known but is thought to be in the hundreds. | The US had already given Afghanistan authority over most of the 3,000 detainees held at the prison before 9 March, when the countries signed a handover agreement. The prison's current detainee population under US control is not known but is thought to be in the hundreds. |
| The US recently suspended the transfer of new detainees, apparently because of disagreements with Kabul, which has questioned the long-term detention of suspects without charge after their capture. | The US recently suspended the transfer of new detainees, apparently because of disagreements with Kabul, which has questioned the long-term detention of suspects without charge after their capture. |
| The US reportedly fears that Afghan authorities may simply let some detainees go, and appears reluctant to turn over all the suspects it holds. | The US reportedly fears that Afghan authorities may simply let some detainees go, and appears reluctant to turn over all the suspects it holds. |
| According to Farouk, the US had transferred 3,082 detainees but was still in the process of transferring another 600 captured after the March agreement. The US will continue to hold about 50 non-Afghan prisoners not covered by the agreement on a small part of the facility that they will still administer. They are thought to include Pakistanis and other foreign nationals either captured in Afghanistan or transferred to Bagram from countries including Iraq. | According to Farouk, the US had transferred 3,082 detainees but was still in the process of transferring another 600 captured after the March agreement. The US will continue to hold about 50 non-Afghan prisoners not covered by the agreement on a small part of the facility that they will still administer. They are thought to include Pakistanis and other foreign nationals either captured in Afghanistan or transferred to Bagram from countries including Iraq. |
| The disagreement is not expected to affect military operations around Afghanistan, but it is an indication of the tense relations between the US-led Nato military coalition and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. | The disagreement is not expected to affect military operations around Afghanistan, but it is an indication of the tense relations between the US-led Nato military coalition and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. |
| It is also unlikely to have an impact on the gradual handover of security responsibilities from Nato to Afghan forces. The US and its allies are reducing their military presence in Afghanistan and hope fully to hand over control to the Afghans by the end of 2014, when most foreign troops are to leave the country. | It is also unlikely to have an impact on the gradual handover of security responsibilities from Nato to Afghan forces. The US and its allies are reducing their military presence in Afghanistan and hope fully to hand over control to the Afghans by the end of 2014, when most foreign troops are to leave the country. |
| The acting Afghan defence minister, Enayatullah Nazary, said after a ceremony that "very few prisoners" remained with the US military and the rest were under Afghan control. | The acting Afghan defence minister, Enayatullah Nazary, said after a ceremony that "very few prisoners" remained with the US military and the rest were under Afghan control. |
| He attributed the delay in handing over the rest to "technical issues" but declined to elaborate further. | He attributed the delay in handing over the rest to "technical issues" but declined to elaborate further. |
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