The fallout of the overblown prisoner abuse scandals continues.
The U.S. military is taking as few prisoners as possible in its campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan, partly to prevent more complaints about its conduct after at least eight prisoners died in custody, an American commander said Monday.
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Col. Gary Cheek, the U.S. commander for eastern Afghanistan, said the troops under his command would be “relentless” in their pursuit of insurgents, including about 20 unidentified top leaders, through the bitter Afghan winter.
But following a review of the military’s policy on detentions last summer, the soldiers were taking as few prisoners as possible as they try to win stronger support from the local population.
The U.S. military, which still commands 18,000 troops here, has taken thousands of prisoners in Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom, Washington’s anti-terrorism drive, began after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Those not released quickly are transferred to larger jails at U.S. bases in Bagram and Kandahar, and many have been sent from there to the U.S. prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
However, allegations of mistreatment – dating to before the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq – have hurt efforts to win over ordinary Afghans.
Maj. Mark McCann, a military spokesman, said fewer prisoners were now being sent to Guantanamo, reflecting a decline in militant activity in Afghanistan. Also, detainees could be freed this year under a planned amnesty, he said.
The story doesn’t specify exactly how the number of prisoners taken is being reduced. Perhaps the troops are refusing to take into initial custody those considered the smallest of the small fish. Perhaps they are avoiding surrender opportunities via standoff engagements.
It really doesn’t matter to me. Dead men don’t wear plaid, and they don’t go whining to the media either.