The United States is going over the thousands of al-Qaeda and Taliban captives and seizing prisoners who it may choose to put on trial. The United States Army Central Command confirmed that 136 al-Qaeda and Taliban captives are now in the hands of the USA, and that the number will increase. The Americans are focusing their efforts on the capture of the Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership.
Of the 136 detainees now under the control of U.S. forces, 125 are in Kandahar, two in Baghram, one in Mazar-e-Sharif and eight are aboard the USS Peleliu. American General Tommy Franks said on Friday: "We will take care of the screening and the work that needs to be done with all these detainees, finger-printing, DNA work, photography, screening, interrogation. We'll determine which ones need to be brought out and need to be handled in some form of legal process."
The United States base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has been prepared for the arrival of the prisoners from Afghanistan. It is assumed that the U.S. will shortly begin to transfer the prisoners they have singled out to the remote military facility, there to await a decision on whether to try them before military civilian tribunals or civilian courts. (www.albawba.com)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
