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titantoo · #1 01-16-2005, 08:32 AM

January 16, 2005

U.S. Releases 81 Taliban Suspects From Afghan Prison

By REUTERS

Filed at 8:08 a.m. ET

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. 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.

``We will give them clothes and then send them home.''

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.''

Accusations of mistreatment of prisoners have dogged U.S. military jails from Iraq, to Afghanistan and its base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

``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.

U.S. PLEDGES MORE RELEASES

U.S. forces captured hundreds of prisoners when they toppled Afghanistan's radical Islamist Taliban government in late 2001 for failing to surrender al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. cities.

Prisoners deemed to be the greatest security risk were taken bound and shackled to Guantanamo Bay, while others were kept at U.S. bases across Afghanistan.

The United States said last week it would release the last four Britons and an Australian held at Guantanamo Bay for three years without charge after Britain and Australia had given Washington a number of unspecified ``security assurances.''

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.

Remnants of the Taliban militia are still fighting U.S. and Afghan government troops, mainly in the south and southeast of the country near the rugged mountainous border with Pakistan.

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.

Some 18,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan hunting al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

The Taliban said all Afghan prisoners should be freed.

``All the prisoners under the custody of the Americans either inside or outside Afghanistan, they are innocent people, they are not Taliban,'' Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi told Reuters by satellite telephone. ``The Americans are torturing and harming those innocent people in their jails.''

An Afghan Supreme Court official said earlier the 81 men had been released from Guantanamo Bay, but later said he had been misinformed.

MiaBellaAngela · #2 01-16-2005, 08:36 AM

I also heard high profile 911 terrorists are beign released from Guantonamo (sp?) also.

This makes me angry!

These people can walk the street even though it is known they plotted 911 and my man has to sit in the SHU on some B.S.

I can't even post what I want to say because it is against the rules to curse!

deb · #3 01-16-2005, 09:00 AM

I believe I read that those being released have no evidence against them and were rounded up in the days following 9-11 and have never had charges brought as there was no evidence. Some have been held since right after 9-11 and never did anything wrong...

Deb

titantoo · #4 01-16-2005, 09:02 AM

MiaBellaAngela

I understand what you are saying but in my respectful opinion that isn't the real point. Firstly two wrongs never make a right but much more importantly if people are to be incarcerated they must be charged, have a public trial with representation of a lawyer etc etc. Guantanamo Bay prison was set up by our wonderful government to not require these safeguards.

For example

Despite a major international outcry and expert condemnation of US government policy, hundreds of people of around 35 different nationalities remain held in a legal black hole at the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, many without access to any court, legal counsel or family visits. Denied their rights under international law and held in conditions which may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the detainees face severe psychological distress. There have been numerous suicide attempts.

As more evidence surfaces that the abuse of Guantánamo detainees has been widespread, it is ever more urgent to end the plight of the detainees. US authorities must bring all detainees to trial, in full accordance with international law and standards, or else release them immediately and unconditionally.

MiaBellaAngela · #5 01-16-2005, 09:22 AM

You are right. That is not right either but come on...who is more of a threat? Them or our men? From what I heard on CNN (and who knows if it is true) there is tons of evidence against the men at Guantanemo. But they should have a trial. Who will try them? The US, the UN, their country? It brings up alot of problems.

The whole "system" just makes me angry!

bluemama · #6 01-16-2005, 09:34 AM

well, my overview on this is a bit different. to me it's promising, and will directly affect our own loved ones. IF gov has to give it up, and do the right thing since there's no evidence, no testimony - and they've been holding these (husbands, brothers, sons) men for no reason other than their nationality or their bad luck of being there - then they SHOULD let them go. They oughta have to pay them millions of dollars for keeping them for no reason. AND, it also means that the world is watching us VERY CLOSELY, which will go better for the upcoming challenge to Congress. If the whole world starts watching how we treat our own prisoners, and how our own injustice system is working - then maybe we'll be able to get some necessary changes accomplished more quickly. Also, we're still the only country in the world that has "conspiracy" crimes. We're also the leader in incarcerated people per capita. The more oversight we have from the rest of the world, maybe the better off we are.
Best of luck to us!
keep the faith!
stay focused!
mary

MiaBellaAngela · #7 01-16-2005, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluemama

well, my overview on this is a bit different. to me it's promising, and will directly affect our own loved ones. IF gov has to give it up, and do the right thing since there's no evidence, no testimony - and they've been holding these (husbands, brothers, sons) men for no reason other than their nationality or their bad luck of being there - then they SHOULD let them go. They oughta have to pay them millions of dollars for keeping them for no reason. AND, it also means that the world is watching us VERY CLOSELY, which will go better for the upcoming challenge to Congress. If the whole world starts watching how we treat our own prisoners, and how our own injustice system is working - then maybe we'll be able to get some necessary changes accomplished more quickly. Also, we're still the only country in the world that has "conspiracy" crimes. We're also the leader in incarcerated people per capita. The more oversight we have from the rest of the world, maybe the better off we are.
Best of luck to us!
keep the faith!
stay focused!
mary

Hey that is a great point!

ok I feel a little better!

titantoo · #8 01-16-2005, 10:08 AM

bluemama (Mary)

My sentiments exactly...that is one reason why I post this stuff!

No problems keeping the faith...but staying focused is hard...there is so much wrong.

titantoo · #9 01-16-2005, 10:16 AM

MiaBellaAngela

Believe me, I understand where you are coming from...at least as best one can without having to go through it oneself but

"tons of evidence against the men at Guantanemo"

Well, if they have the evidence let them bring it up in court.
If one reads PTO and sees the injustices done by our states and country why would one believe them when they say they have tons of evidence against the men at Guantanemo? Remember they not only said they had tons of evidence that Saddam had and was about to use weapons of mass destruction but they also said he was involved directly with 9/11 and they went to war because of it. It is now universally accepted (even almost by B**H) that Saddam had no hidden weapons of mass destruction and he was not involved directly with 9/11.

MiaBellaAngela · #10 01-16-2005, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titantoo

MiaBellaAngela

Believe me, I understand where you are coming from...at least as best one can without having to go through it oneself but

"tons of evidence against the men at Guantanemo"

Well, if they have the evidence let them bring it up in court.
If one reads PTO and sees the injustices done by our states and country why would one believe them when they say they have tons of evidence against the men at Guantanemo? Remember they not only said they had tons of evidence that Saddam had and was about to use weapons of mass destruction but they also said he was involved directly with 9/11 and they went to war because of it. It is now universally accepted (even almost by B**H) that Saddam had no hidden weapons of mass destruction and he was not involved directly with 9/11.

Very good point. I agree. I guess when i saw the news I just got so mad b/c my sweetie is in with no forensic evidence linking him to the scene of the crime. I just got mad. What can I say?

titantoo · #11 01-16-2005, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiaBellaAngela

I just got mad. What can I say?

Lovely lady...I already said I understood. I would also be angry in your situation and perhaps say similar things. What I bless you for is calming down and understanding. Thank You.
Big Hug.

bluemama · #12 01-16-2005, 11:34 AM

mia bella, me too! i get so mad i just want to spit! so, i do <grin>
i don't know if it's the frustration or the despair which gets to me quicker. then i remember, my son's the one in prison - and i calm down and start thinking a different way.
i understand you, mia bella...i think i can safely say we all understand each other on this forum, which is what it's all about.
where better to rant, rave, smile, laff - than among internet friends?
keep the faith, sister
stay focused!
mary