Apparently, at the request of the Iraqi government, we let hundreds of prisoners go:
Nearly 1,000 detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison were released this week at the request of the Iraqi government, Multi-National Forces said Saturday.
“This major release, the largest to date, marks a significant event in Iraq’s progress toward democratic governance and the rule of law, demonstrating the involvement of Iraq’s government in the effort to provide both security and justice for all Iraqis,” the forces said in a written statement.
The detainees were released from Wednesday through Saturday, with the assistance of the Iraqi government, the statement said. They represent all Iraqi communities and had been brought to Abu Ghraib from detention facilities throughout Iraq.
Those chosen for release were not convicted of violent crimes, the statement said, “and all have admitted their crimes, renounced violence and pledged to be good citizens of a democratic Iraq.”
I am sure there is much more to this than what is reported here, but I am curious- why were we holding them one day if it is just ‘ok’ to let them go the next day?