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Afghanistan Releases Prisoners Over U.S. Objections Afghanistan Releases Prisoners Over U.S. Objections
(about 7 hours later)
BAGRAM, Afghanistan — The Afghan government began releasing prisoners Thursday over the objections of the American military, which said they were dangerous insurgents responsible for killing its soldiers. BAGRAM, Afghanistan — The Afghan government on Thursday released 65 prisoners over the objections of the American military, which said that they were dangerous insurgents responsible for killing its soldiers and that they might return to the fight.
The 65 detainees began emerging from the Bagram Prison in small groups Thursday morning, and were taken away in vehicles belonging to the Afghan National Army military police, who are in charge of the facility. American military guards are also present at the prison but were not in evidence. The 65 detainees left the Bagram prison in the morning, and were taken away in vehicles belonging to the Afghan National Army’s military police, who are in charge of the facility. American military guards are also present at the prison but were not in evidence. The police vehicles took them to a small bazaar on a main road, where they were transferred to taxis.
One of them was Abdul Samad, a prisoner who said that he was picked up in the insurgent-dominated district of Andar in Ghazni Province 15 months ago, on his way to Nerkh District, another insurgent stronghold in Wardak Province, to meet his brother. Interviewed by cellphone while riding in a taxi taking him and four other released prisoners to Kabul, Mr. Samad said that he was a farmer, not an insurgent, and that he had never been given a reason for his arrest.
“They did not find any evidence against me to prove my involvement in any wrongdoing,” he said. One by one, the other released prisoners, three from Kandahar Province and one from Ghazni, got out of the taxi in Kabul while Mr. Samad continued on to Wardak, using 5,000 afghanis, or about $90, given to him by the prison authorities along with a new suit of civilian clothing.
American military officials have been publicly scathing in their criticism of the releases, which have brought relations between the two allies to a low point at a time when talks on a long-term Western military presence have stalled.American military officials have been publicly scathing in their criticism of the releases, which have brought relations between the two allies to a low point at a time when talks on a long-term Western military presence have stalled.
In a statement, the American military expressed “strong concern about the potential threats these detainees pose to coalition forces and Afghan security forces and civilians.”In a statement, the American military expressed “strong concern about the potential threats these detainees pose to coalition forces and Afghan security forces and civilians.”
“We believe some of the individuals previously released have already returned to the fight,” the American statement said. “Additional released detainees may continue to fill the ranks of the insurgency.”
“Detainees from this group of 65 are directly linked to attacks killing or wounding 32 U.S. or coalition personnel and 23 Afghan security personnel or civilians,” the statement added. “Violent criminals who harm Afghans and threaten the peace and security of Afghanistan should face justice in the Afghan courts, where a fair and transparent trial would determine their guilt or innocence.”“Detainees from this group of 65 are directly linked to attacks killing or wounding 32 U.S. or coalition personnel and 23 Afghan security personnel or civilians,” the statement added. “Violent criminals who harm Afghans and threaten the peace and security of Afghanistan should face justice in the Afghan courts, where a fair and transparent trial would determine their guilt or innocence.”
The 65 were ordered released without such trials by an Afghan review board, which determined there was not enough evidence to try them. The Afghan judge who heads the review board, Abdul Shakor Dadras, confirmed that the releases would be carried out Thursday at a pace determined by the Afghan prison authorities. The 65 were ordered released without such trials by an Afghan review board, which determined that there was not enough evidence to try them, according to Abdul Shakor Dadras, who heads the board. They were among the last 88 prisoners handed over by the Americans whose cases were under review. Mr. Dadras said he expected that most of the remaining 23 detainees would be released as well.
The 65 being released are among the last 88 Afghan prisoners being held at Bagram, and the Afghan board has previously ordered releases in 560 of the 760 Bagram detainee cases it reviewed, sending only 112 to trial. Many of those prisoners have been held there for years without judicial review, and President Hamid Karzai, who has called the prison a Taliban-making factory, has said repeatedly that he wants to see it closed. The only prisoners apparently still in American custody at the facility are foreign prisoners captured in Afghanistan, mostly Pakistanis. The Afghan board has previously ordered releases in 560 of the 760 Bagram detainee cases it reviewed, sending only 112 to trial. Many of those prisoners have been held there for years without judicial review, and President Hamid Karzai, who has called the prison a Taliban-making factory, has said repeatedly that he wants to see it closed.
The only prisoners apparently still in American custody at the facility are foreign prisoners captured in Afghanistan, mostly Pakistanis, although there are also new prisoners in Afghan custody who were arrested by Afghan forces.
In January, 37 of the last prisoners were ordered released but that was delayed after the American military publicly complained that the releases violated an agreement between the two countries that the Americans felt gave them a veto power over releases of prisoners they regarded as dangerous.In January, 37 of the last prisoners were ordered released but that was delayed after the American military publicly complained that the releases violated an agreement between the two countries that the Americans felt gave them a veto power over releases of prisoners they regarded as dangerous.
On Tuesday, the American military issued a statement criticizing what by then had become 65 planned releases in unusually harsh terms. Coalition military officials also released a dossier detailing what they said was convincing evidence of how dangerous some of the remaining detainees were. On Tuesday, the American military issued a statement in unusually harsh terms criticizing what by then had become 65 planned releases. Coalition military officials also released a dossier detailing what they said was convincing evidence of how dangerous some of the remaining detainees were.
Mr. Dadras said he had the support of the Afghan attorney general’s office, and that Afghanistan was determined to release the prisoners despite American criticism that seemed to stall it last month.Mr. Dadras said he had the support of the Afghan attorney general’s office, and that Afghanistan was determined to release the prisoners despite American criticism that seemed to stall it last month.
“The delay was not because we were scared of the Americans,” he said. “These prisoners’ release was delayed because we wanted to thoroughly re-review the files of these prisoners so that the Americans do not have a chance to complain again,” he added.“The delay was not because we were scared of the Americans,” he said. “These prisoners’ release was delayed because we wanted to thoroughly re-review the files of these prisoners so that the Americans do not have a chance to complain again,” he added.
A spokesman for the Afghan attorney general’s office, Basir Azizi, said his office also reviewed the 88 detainees handed over by American forces. “We made the decision to set 65 of the prisoners free. We found no concrete and credible evidence and that was why we decided to let them go. We will soon make a decision on the remaining 23 prisoners. I don’t say we will let them all go.”