Official: U.S. to Free Iraqi Detainees (450)

[sabra]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/sns-ap-iraq-detainee-releases,1,4591495.story

Official: U.S. to Free Iraqi Detainees

By Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. forces are expected to release about 450 male Iraqi detainees next week, Iraq's deputy justice minister said Thursday.

Busho Ibrahim Ali said the detainees will be released from at least three prisons, including Abu Ghraib in the western suburbs of Baghdad and Camp Bucca near the southern port of Umm Qasr.

Ali told The Associated Press the men will be released on Tuesday. The four or five women believed to be in U.S. custody are not expected to be freed, he said.

The kidnappers of American journalist Jill Carroll, who was abducted Jan. 7, have demanded the release of all female detainees or else they would kill their captive. There has been no sign of Carroll since footage of her pleading for her release appeared Jan. 30 on Al-Jazeera television.

[OKNancy]

1. kick

[Barrett808]

2. US military to release 450 detainees in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The US military will soon release a fresh batch of about 450 detainees it holds in prisons in Iraq, a top US military official said.

Major General Rick Lynch, spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq, confirmed reports that around 450 detainees were set to be released, though he did not specify whether any of them would be women.

"It is true" he said referring to the reports, adding "we continually assess every individual in US detention."

"If they can determine the detainee is no longer a threat to the security of the people of Iraq, we can release them. So we are indeed going through a detailed process and you can expect to see another release of that magnitude over the course of the next week," he told reporters.

Last week the US military released 50 men after a review of their cases by a joint Iraqi-US board, while prior to that in January it had freed more than 400, including five women.

Four women continue to be held in prisons.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060209/pl_afp/iraqusdetainees

Obviously a direct result of this:

U.S. Officials Meet Iraq Insurgent Groups
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2095169

[louis-t]

3. And, of course, the 450 will then

spread the word about how wonderfully they were treated, and how delicious the lemon chicken was.