After intense talks, US and Afghanistan reach deal on prison handover

Deutsche Welle, 23 March 2013

The US is set to handover the Bagram Prison to Afghan authorities on Monday, according to a deal the two governments made after two weeks of talks. Technicalities stalled the handover a fortnight ago.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai resolved disagreements on Saturday regarding the transfer of Bagram Prison - also known as the Detention Facility in Parwan - to Afghan officials.

"[Hagel] welcomed President Karzai's commitment that the transfer will be carried out in a way that ensures the safety of the Afghan people and coalition forces by keeping dangerous individuals detained in a secure and humane manner in accordance with Afghan law," Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement.

Two weeks ago, talks came to a halt when Hagel refused to finalize the agreement without a guarantee from the Afghan government that it would not release prisoners considered dangerous upon receiving full authority over the facility.

Karzai had said Bagram's detainees were innocent, leading US officials to worry that he would release prisoners who would return to insurgency.

The spat caused embarrassment to the US secretary defense who had only recently assumed the post.

Under the agreement reached on Saturday, Afghan officials are scheduled to assume full authority over the prison at the beginning of next week.

Bagram Prison, which has earned a reputation rivalled only by Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, houses suspected insurgents.

In September, Afghanistan assumed control over some 3,000 prisoners there, while the US maintained authority of several hundred Afghan prisoners and final veto power over the release of prisoners.

It was unclear from initial reporters whether the US would retain veto power under the terms of the new agreement.

The transfer of the notorious prison comes ahead of the 2014 withdrawal of the majority of NATO's 96,000 troops currently serving in Afghanistan.

kms/jlw (AP, AFP, Reuters)