U.S. begins releasing detainees under Iraq pact

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U.S. begins releasing detainees under Iraq pact
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, February 5, 2009

The U.S. military says it has started the process of releasing its detainees in Iraq, promising to release or transfer an average of 50 a day until all are released.

The transfers are part of the security agreement signed late last year between the U.S. and Iraq, mandating that all detainees will be freed or handed to the Iraqis this year. The agreement went into effect Jan. 1.

There are some 15,000 detainees in the custody of foreign forces in Iraq, the vast majority at the U.S. facilities of Camp Cropper in Baghdad and Camp Bucca in southern Iraq.

After negotiations about processes, the U.S. military committed to releasing 1,500 detainees each month.

Iraqi authorities review detainees’ case files before a determination is made on their status. The Iraqis can ask for custody of the detainee, or the person can be released outright.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60483