In the custody of.... ??????
"US to keep control of some detainees in Afghanistan" by Charlie Savage and Graham Bowley |
New York Times, September 06, 2012
WASHINGTON — The US military will maintain control over a cluster of
foreign detainees and new ones captured on the battlefield in
Afghanistan, even as the two countries prepare to ceremonially turn over
detention operations to Afghan control at President Hamid Karzai’s
demand, Afghan and US officials said.
The persistence of US-run holding cells in Afghanistan, in a section
of the main Parwan prison complex, underscores the complexity of
relinquishing control over detainee operations while US troops are still
in the field conducting raids and making arrests — including the risk
that detainees could be freed only to come back and stage attacks.
Some of the difficulties, moreover, echo problems that have slowed
the Obama administration’s efforts to close the prison camp at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is illegal to repatriate prisoners to countries
where they are likely to be tortured or killed, for example, and US
officials have also wanted to ensure that other governments are willing
and able to keep tabs on any former detainees who are released....
The United States continues to operate cellblocks to hold
and screen Afghan detainees who were captured more recently. Since March
9, more than 600 additional Afghans have been taken into custody, and
most remain in US custody even as continuing sweeps and raids add to
their numbers. A major unresolved issue is how quickly newly arrested
Afghans should be turned over....
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You may be there a lot longer than one night:
"US transfers Bagram prison control to Afghan officials; Tensions aboil on army, courts’ competency" by Richard Leiby |
Washington Post, September 11, 2012
KABUL — The US military prison known as Bagram, a hated symbol of US
interference in Afghan affairs, was officially transferred to Afghan
control Monday.
The long-demanded handoff of Parwan detention center, the facility’s
official name, occurred amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over
the army’s ability to guarantee security at the prison and the court
system’s preparedness to adjudicate detainee cases competently.
Related: Torture Center Transfer
Pledges of mutual cooperation masked a behind-the-scenes dispute over
about three dozen captives whom the United States has refused to
release. The US-led military coalition also held back the transfer of
more than 600 more recently captured prisoners, but officials said that
process would begin next week.
Even some Afghan officials fear that courts will end up releasing
dangerous captives from the prison, because judges here often do not
accept evidence gathered from intelligence sources.
Meaning they have some critical thinking skills and independence!
The United States
has held some suspected militants for years on the basis of classified,
undisclosed evidence, drawing international criticism. Allegations of
abuse of detainees at the prison have stoked anti-American feeling....
They are more than allegations!
See: Afghans Despise AmeriKan Detention Dungeons
Wouldn't you?
The United States also will retain custody of nearly 50 foreign nationals at Parwan — many of them Pakistanis accused of fighting for the Taliban. ‘‘We are not interested in them,’’ said Zahir Azimi, an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman. The US-led military coalition, in a statement Sunday night, alluded to concerns about transferring some of the high-value detainees to Afghan custody but did not give specifics....
Not long after Monday’s ceremony, a suicide bomber targeted police in
the northern city of Kunduz, killing 15 people and wounding about 25,
local officials said. The attack demonstrated the continued danger posed
by militants. Many observers say the Taliban insurgency has regained
its strength, despite upbeat assessments by US commanders who say the
movement has been curtailed....
What, the U.S. military lying about a war? Nothing new there.
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"Afghans court says detention without trial violates its law" by Heidi Vogt |
Associated Press, September 18, 2012
KABUL — An Afghan judicial panel ruled Monday that administrative
detention violates Afghan law, potentially thwarting a US plan to hand
over Afghan detainees who American officials believe should continue to
be held without a trial....
Related: AmeriKan Justice Arrives in Afghanistan
Yeah, we are going to show them how to do it!
The US government has long held Afghans captured in operations inside
the country without trial, arguing that they are enemy combatants and
therefore can be detained for as long as their release might pose a
danger to the international coalition.
Then they should be eligible for release after 2014, right?
Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai, said Monday’s judicial ruling followed a vigorous effort by the Americans to persuade the Afghans to adopt administrative detention. He said the topic was discussed Sunday during a contentious meeting between Karzai and Marc Grossman, the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. After the meeting, Karzai issued a statement lashing out at the Americans.
Afghan laws have come into play only since the signing of a deal in
March in which the United States agreed it would hand over all Afghan
citizens to the Afghan government — acceding to a key Karzai demand to
pave the way for a pact allowing for the long-term presence of US forces
in the country.
Yeah, SO MUCH for LEAVING by the end of 2014!
But the United States has also argued that it cannot risk the release
of some high-value detainees to the notoriously corrupt Afghan court
system. Even though the deadline for the handover passed Sept. 10, the
Americans are still holding more than 600 Afghans in their custody.
A US official confirmed that the transfer of detainees had paused because of the dispute.
Also Monday, NATO said it has scaled back operations with Afghan
soldiers and police officers to lower the risk of insider attacks
against coalition troops and reduce local tensions over the anti-Islam
film that sparked protests in Afghanistan.
In the latest insider attack....
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Related: Obama, Karzai ease detainee dispute
Not really:
"Afghan president: US violating detainee pact" by Rahim Faiez |
Associated Press, November 20, 2012
KABUL — Afghanistan’s president accused US forces of capturing and
holding Afghans in violation of an agreement to turn over that
responsibility to his forces, complicating a new round of security talks
between the two countries....
The detainee transfer deal was one of two pacts that paved the way
for a broad but vague strategic partnership agreement signed by Kabul
and Washington in May that set forth an American commitment to
Afghanistan for years to come. The second pact covers ‘‘special
operations’’ such as certain American raids.
A third detailed pact, the bilateral security agreement, is now under
negotiation. It covers logistical and legal questions such as the size
and number of bases and the immunity of US forces from prosecution.
Why would they need that if they are leaving?
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Also see: Afghanistan After 2014
We are going to be there another ten years if not longer?
