BAGHDAD, Aug 27: The US military said on Saturday it had freed 1,000 detainees from Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison at the Baghdad government’s request, in the largest release to date.
It was not clear if the decision was linked to a demand by the Sunnis opposed to a draft constitution that authorities release Sunni prisoners so they can participate in a referendum on the constitution text and elections later this year.
Negotiations on the constitution, involving leaders from rival sectarian and ethnic groups and US diplomats, continued amid a battery of conflicting public statements.
There were signs of splits within the Sunni camp, with other delegates saying that some Sunnis had been won round to a compromise proposal from the Shia and Kurd-led government while some Sunni leaders said they saw nothing to agree on.
It remained unclear what would happen next or even if parliament would meet as previously announced on Sunday.
A statement from President Jalal Talabani’s office said prisoners from the town of Madaen, just south of Baghdad, had also been released. Sunni negotiators had also demanded freedom for Sunni prisoners from Madaen.
Whether or not the releases were part of negotiations on the charter, they are likely to ease concerns over the estimated 10,000 Iraqi prisoners held in US prisons in the country.
Parliament Speaker Hajem al-Hassani said a draft constitution with new proposals on disputed points such as federalism would be reviewed by Sunnis and the chamber would receive a response on Sunday.
Later, however, some delegates cast doubt on whether that timetable would hold after two weeks of missed deadlines.
The plight of prisoners in the US-run Abu Ghraib, once one of Saddam Hussein’s most feared prisons, has been one the most emotional issues for Iraqis since the US-led invasion.—-Reuters
