US Agrees to Hand Over Control of Prisons in Afghanistan
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Department of Defense/Pfc. Jorge A. Ortiz, U.S. Marine Corps(KABUL, Afghanistan) — In what’s considered a major breakthrough, the U.S. has agreed to turn over control of all detention facilities in Afghanistan to Afghan security forces within the next six months.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai had been demanding the transfer as a condition for signing any long term strategic agreement with the United States.
The new deal guarantees that U.S. advisors will still have access to the detention facilities to ensure all prisoners are treated according to the Geneva Convention. Organizations like the Red Cross and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission will also have access.
Among the prisons being transferred is the one in Bagram Airfield, the U.S. base where troops burned Korans last month. The incident sparked a series of protests and violent acts against American and coalition forces.
Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, will head a new commission that will supervise the handover, along with Afghan Minster of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak,
The first 500 prisoners are expected to be transfered within 45 days.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio