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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| US releases 81 suspected Taliban fighters from military jails |
| 2005-01-16 |
| From PakTribune US forces in Afghanistan freed 81 suspected Taliban fighters from military jails across the country Sunday and some of the released men said they had been mistreated and tortured in custody. Aged between 19 and 64, looking pale and exhausted, the bearded men smiled and waved as they left the Afghan Supreme Court to begin their journeys home. "They have been released from Bagram," Chief Justice Fazl Hadi Shinwari told reporters, referring to the main American base in Afghanistan, north of the capital Kabul. .... At a brief hearing before their release, Shinwari warned the men not to talk about their imprisonment, saying it could harm the prospects of those still held, but some still spoke out. "I was picked up on the basis of wrong information," Shah Alim, a 19-year-old from the eastern province of Kunar, told Reuters. "They poured water on me, deprived me of sleep and beat me during detention as part of their torture." .... "I have very bad memories of the interrogation because they were torturing us," said Abdul Manan, 35, also from Kunar. "But after the interrogation period was over, everything was all right," he told reporters outside the Supreme Court. .... Shinwari said U.S. authorities had also pledged to free all their remaining Afghan prisoners. "There are another 400 Taliban in Bagram and they (the U.S. military) have promised to release all Taliban from Bagram and Guantanamo Bay," he said. The release of the Afghan prisoners and pledge to free more comes amid reports that U.S.-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government is in peace talks with mid-level Taliban commanders to persuade them and their foot-soldiers to give up their fight and return to normal life. ..... Shinwari warned the released prisoners not to take up arms against the Afghan government. Local media reports say some previously freed Guantanamo prisoners have rejoined the Taliban and some of those have since been killed in clashes or recaptured by U.S. forces. ..... American officials in Afghanistan say they don't have any information about a prisoner release. But Afghan officials say about 80 people detained by the U-S military in Afghanistan will be released today. ....The court spokesman said that the about 80 prisoners would be brought from Bagram Air Base, the main U-S base in Afghanistan, to Kabul and then allowed to return to their homes. ..... |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #3 sh&t. In my college days I became briefly acquainted with San Felipe's jail (Baja, Mex for non-revelers). I considered it torture too, knowing my buds were out partying and all I got was warm beer and fish tacos...mmmmmmm fish tacos..... these pukes should be kept on a short leash |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-01-16 6:46:03 PM |
| #2 shhh...it's just a Rovian trick to get the WAPO/NYT/CNN/BBC/NPR/ABC/CBS/NBC puppets to report on the "torture" and futher tick off all but their blessedly brainwashed base |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-01-16 6:40:58 PM |
| #1 Hope we embedded the microchips for tracking purposes. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-01-16 6:22:03 PM |