|
 Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Afghan
government had directed the Afghan Review Board, a government body,
to release 37 detainees.
Warren said some were linked to production of improvised bombs or
attacks using them, while others were believed to have been involved
in assaults on Afghan or foreign soldiers
"These are bad guys. These are individuals with blood on their
hands, both U.S., coalition and Afghan blood on their hands," Warren
told reporters.
The prisoners, he said, were "in the release process" despite
"strong evidence" that would support prosecution of some prisoners
and leads on other prisoners that justified further investigation.
The detainees are among 650 held at Bagram prison north of Kabul
which Afghan authorities have marked for release on grounds of
insufficient proof to prosecute them. Washington objects to freeing
a total of 88 prisoners it regards as a threat to security.
The dispute over the prisoners is one of a series of incidents
marking a deterioration in ties.
President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a security pact that
would enable U.S. troops, in the country since 2001, to remain
beyond the end of the year. He says the accord can wait until after
a presidential election in April.
U.S. ambassador James Cunningham said he hoped relations could be
repaired quickly as most foreign troops prepare to leave, and as
Afghanistan prepares for an April presidential election.
"I would hope that we can get back to relationship that's based on
fact," Cunningham told reporters in Kabul late on Monday. "We've had strong
disagreements and we've always found a way to deal with them.
[to top of second column] |
"The reality is the security transition. Whether we sign an
agreement that cements our security cooperation and the elections —
and those are coming up in the next couple of months — and we need
to find a way to deal with that."
He said "facts had been distorted" in the row over the detainees and
in a separate dispute over conflicting accounts of civilian
casualties in an air strike by foreign forces on a village this
month.
Afghan officials say all but 16 of the 88 prisoners raising
objections in Washington will be released.
Karzai's spokesman said the U.S. attempt to block the release was a
clear breach of Afghan sovereignty."
"The release of innocent Afghan detainees from Bagram prison is the
decision of our judicial authorities ... it has to be respected and
put in action as soon as possible," the spokesman, Aimal Faizi, told
Reuters on Monday.
(Reporting by David Alexander, Missy Ryan and Doina Chiacu in
Washington and Jessica Donati in Kabul; editing by Grant McCool,
David Gregorio and Ron Popeski)
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