Major Shaitan Singh
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The Washington Post
KABUL The U.S. military prison in Afghanistan known as Bagram, infamous for its association with abuse of detainees during the 11-year war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, was officially transferred to Afghan control Monday.
The long-demanded handoff occurred amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over the Afghan armys ability to guarantee security at the prison, and the Afghan court systems preparedness to competently adjudicate detainee cases.
Even some Afghan officials fear that the courts will end up releasing dangerous captives, because judges often dont accept evidence gathered from intelligence sources. The United States has held suspected militants for years on the basis of classified, undisclosed evidence, drawing international criticism.
At the mid-morning ceremony, the Afghan army formally took custody of hundreds of inmates accused of fighting for or supporting the Taliban and other Islamic militants battling Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces.
The handover of Parwan detention center, the facilitys official name, marked a victory for President Hamid Karzai, who has considered U.S. control of the prison a violation of national sovereignty. The handover fulfilled an agreement Karzai struck six months ago with the United States.
This is a day of national pride for Afghanistan, said Afghan Army Gen. Farouq Barakai, the commander taking over the prison, as hundreds of his troops stood at rigid attention
Karzai did not attend the ceremony at the Bagram air base, 30 miles from Kabul.
U.S. Army Col. Robert M. Taradash, who has overseen the prison, said that by tranferring responsibility to Afghanistan, the United States has ensured that those who threaten Afghan and coalition forces will not return to the battlefield.
The ceremony also included the freeing of 12 prisoners who had been cleared by a joint U.S.-Afghan review board. Officials called it an act of Afghan sovereignty.
Parwan at one point held more than 3,000 inmates, but hundreds have been transferred to other facilities or released, Afghan officials said.
The United States will retain custody of nearly 50 foreign nationals accused of fighting for the Taliban.
We are not interested in them, said Zahir Azimi, an Afghan defense ministry spokesman.
There remains a behind-the-scenes dispute over the control of a few dozen other captives whom the United States has refused to release. A NATO spokesman said the coalition will pause the transfer until our concerns are met regarding the intentions of the Afghan government regarding those prisoners.
Thats something thats being resolved between our two governments, Taradash said after the ceremony. The governments are working together and we continue to partner with the Afghans at this facility.
KABUL The U.S. military prison in Afghanistan known as Bagram, infamous for its association with abuse of detainees during the 11-year war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, was officially transferred to Afghan control Monday.
The long-demanded handoff occurred amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over the Afghan armys ability to guarantee security at the prison, and the Afghan court systems preparedness to competently adjudicate detainee cases.
Even some Afghan officials fear that the courts will end up releasing dangerous captives, because judges often dont accept evidence gathered from intelligence sources. The United States has held suspected militants for years on the basis of classified, undisclosed evidence, drawing international criticism.
At the mid-morning ceremony, the Afghan army formally took custody of hundreds of inmates accused of fighting for or supporting the Taliban and other Islamic militants battling Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces.
The handover of Parwan detention center, the facilitys official name, marked a victory for President Hamid Karzai, who has considered U.S. control of the prison a violation of national sovereignty. The handover fulfilled an agreement Karzai struck six months ago with the United States.
This is a day of national pride for Afghanistan, said Afghan Army Gen. Farouq Barakai, the commander taking over the prison, as hundreds of his troops stood at rigid attention
Karzai did not attend the ceremony at the Bagram air base, 30 miles from Kabul.
U.S. Army Col. Robert M. Taradash, who has overseen the prison, said that by tranferring responsibility to Afghanistan, the United States has ensured that those who threaten Afghan and coalition forces will not return to the battlefield.
The ceremony also included the freeing of 12 prisoners who had been cleared by a joint U.S.-Afghan review board. Officials called it an act of Afghan sovereignty.
Parwan at one point held more than 3,000 inmates, but hundreds have been transferred to other facilities or released, Afghan officials said.
The United States will retain custody of nearly 50 foreign nationals accused of fighting for the Taliban.
We are not interested in them, said Zahir Azimi, an Afghan defense ministry spokesman.
There remains a behind-the-scenes dispute over the control of a few dozen other captives whom the United States has refused to release. A NATO spokesman said the coalition will pause the transfer until our concerns are met regarding the intentions of the Afghan government regarding those prisoners.
Thats something thats being resolved between our two governments, Taradash said after the ceremony. The governments are working together and we continue to partner with the Afghans at this facility.
