U.S. transfers control of Bagram prison to Afghan officials

BAGRAM — The U.S. military prison known as Bagram, infamous for its association with abuse of detainees during the 11-year war against al- Qaeda and the Taliban, was officially transferred to Afghan control Monday.
The long-demanded handoff occurred amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over the Afghan Army’s ability to guarantee security at the prison and the Afghan court system’s preparedness to competently adjudicate detainee cases.

Even some Afghan officials fear that the courts will end up releasing dangerous captives because judges often don’t accept evidence gathered from intelligence sources. The U.S has held suspected militants for years on the basis of classified, undisclosed evidence, drawing international criticism.
At the mid-morning ceremony, the Afghan Army formally took custody of hundreds of inmates accused of fighting for or supporting the Taliban and other Islamic militants battling Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces.
The handover of Parwan Prison, the facility’s official name, marked a victory for President Hamid Karzai, who has considered U.S. control of the prison a violation of national sovereignty.
Karzai did not attend the ceremony at the Bagram air base, 30 miles from Kabul, which fulfilled an agreement he struck six months ago with the United States.
Representing the U.S. Army, Col. Robert M. Taradash, who has overseen the prison, said the United States, in passing over responsibility, has “ensured that those who threaten Afghan and coalition forces will not return to the battlefield.”
The ceremony also included the freeing of 12 prisoners who had been cleared by a joint U.S.-Afghan review board. Officials called it an act of Afghan sovereignty.
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