Afghan President says U.S. forces violating detainee pact

PanARMENIAN.Net - Afghanistan's president says U.S. forces are continuing to capture and hold Afghans in violation of an agreement signed between the two countries, The Associated Press reported.

President Hamid Karzai says in a statement issued late Sunday that some of detainees are still held by U.S. forces even though Afghan judges have ruled that they be released. He also decries the continued arrest of Afghans by U.S. forces.

Karzai's office says these acts "are completely against the agreement that has been signed."

The two countries signed the detainee transfer pact in March but the handover has been slowed by the U.S. The Americans argue that Kabul is not ready to take over detainee management, and also insist the Afghan government agree to hold without trial some detainees that the U.S. deems too dangerous to release.