The U.S. military condemned the Afghan government for overriding its objections and moving forward with plans to free 65 detainees it believes are dangerous and pose a serious threat to the lives of coalition and local Afghan troops.
Detainees from this group of 65, currently being held at an Afghan detention facility in Parwan, are expected to be released Thursday, the U.S. military in Afghanistan said in a statement.
Some of these detainees, the military said, are directly linked to attacks that have killed or wounded U.S. or coalition personnel, Afghan security personnel, or local civilians, and are considered quite dangerous. One is a suspected Taliban explosives expert; another is a commander from the Haqqani network who is accused of planning attacks. “It remains the position of [the U.S. military] that violent criminals who harm Afghans and threaten the peace and security of Afghanistan should face justice in the Afghan courts, where a fair and transparent trial would determine their guilt or innocence,” the military’s statement said.
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