KABUL (dpa): The United States agreed Friday to transfer Bagram prison near Kabul to Afghan control soon, officials said. John Allen, the US commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak signed an agreement in Kabul foreseeing the transfer of the Parwan Detention Facility in Bagram within the next six months. Kabul had criticized the foreign control of the prison. “The signing of this memorandum is an important step forward in our strategic partnership negotiations and very much in keeping with both the Loya Jirga's recommendations and the desires of President Karzai,” Allen said at a joint press conference at the signing. He said the handover agreement was “yet another example of the progress of transition, and our efforts to ensure that Afghanistan can never again be a safe haven for terrorists.” In the past, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been critical of the United States for not cooperating over the handover of Bagram prison, which is formally known as the Parwan Detention Facility and is run by the US-led international coalition. Afghan Defense Minister Rahim Wardak said the transfer of the detention center was an important step “towards the identification and strengthening of national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/VBdxc Tags: Bagram, handover, Prison, US Section: East Asia, International, Latest News
