US to Release 12,000 Prisoners in Iraq

By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 7:03pm BST 18/04/2008
America plans to halve the number of detainees it is holding in Iraq by releasing more than 12,000 under a scheme designed to promote reconciliation with communities formerly sympathetic to the insurgency.
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US officers in Iraq told the Wall Street Journal yesterday that more than 50 prisoners per day would gain their freedom through the end of 2008.
Over 12,000 prisoners are to be released from Iraqi prisons
The vast majority of those in American custody are Sunni Muslims, including a hardcore of al-Qa'eda followers.
However, officials estimate as few as 2,500 represent a long-term threat to America. "When they aren't a security risk, it's our obligation to release them," said Brigadier General Mike Nevin. "The trick is: how do you know when they're no longer a threat?"

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