U.S. and British forces have released 887 Iraqi prisoners, but continue to hold 7,000 others as they sort through those captured in the monthlong war in Iraq, the Pentagon said today. "We are busy going through the process of determining their status. We have said all along that we don't want to hold anybody any longer than necessary," said Navy Cmdr. Chris Isleib, a Defense Department spokesman. He told Reuters the 887 released as of Friday had been determined to be noncombatants and were not part of any Iraqi military force. The remaining 7,000 prisoners, many members of regular Iraqi army units, were still being investigated to determine their status and whether they might be charged with any crimes.
| I imagine most of the real bad guys are elsewhere... |
Isleib said he did not know exactly where the Iraqis were released. A large number of prisoners are being detained in the southern port city of Umm Qasr, where a tent city is being built that could hold as many as 24,000 prisoners. The spokesman said some prisoners were being held elsewhere in Iraq, including with units of the U.S.-led military force that invaded the country to overthrow the government of missing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. |