U.S. Releases Nearly 1,000 Prisoners From Abu Ghraib After Iraqi Authorities Request They Be Freed
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http://neworleans.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8C8J9UG0snip:
The U.S. military announced Saturday that it released nearly 1,000 prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison over the past few days in response to a request by Iraqi authorities.
The move, the largest prisoner release to date, followed appeals by Sunni representatives to start releasing thousands of prisoners who have been languishing in the jail for months without being charged.
After a meeting with President Jalal Talabani on Thursday, Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Mutlaq said the president agreed to release many detainees before the Oct. 15 referendum on the constitution. Al-Mutlaq said hundreds of detainees, most of them Sunni Arabs, were to be set free. ...
"Those chosen for release are not guilty of serious, violent crimes _ such as bombing, torture, kidnapping, or murder _ and all have admitted their crimes, renounced violence, and pledged to be good citizens of a democratic Iraq," the U.S. statement said.
Sunni politicians had complained to Talabani that the Shiite-controlled police picked up 132 Sunnis in the region to prevent them from registering for the constitutional referendum. The deadline for voter registration is Sept. 1.
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