80 Afghans released from US custody
Eighty Afghan detainees were released from US custody at Bagram air base near Kabul yesterday ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha as part of an attempt to bring moderate Taliban supporters in from the cold, officials said.
The 80 prisoners, dressed in blue and grey shalwar kameez and unlaced blue sports shoes, arrived at the Supreme Court in two buses last afternoon from the US detention facility at Bagram and were released after a hearing.
Chief Justice Fazel Hadi Shinwari told the court the prisoners had been held at Bagram, contradicting earlier reports that they had been released from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "The prisoners are released. They will be given clothes and money by the government and they will go home," Shinwari added.
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