- Title: IRAQ: UNITED STATES FORCES FREE A NUMBER OF IRAQI PRISONERS
- Date: 2nd July 2004
- Summary: (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 29, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV BUS CARRYING FREED PRISONERS ARRIVING AT AMIRIYA MILITARY BASE WEST OF BAGHDAD ESCORTED BY U.S HUMVEES; MV FREED PRISONERS STEPPING OUT OF BUS/ U.S. SOLDIERS NEARBY 0.21 2. SLV PRISONERS SHAKING HANDS WITH CHIEFS OF TRIBES IN A LINE; MV PRISONERS DISEMBARKING THE BUS/ U.S. SOLDIERS STANDING NEARBY
- Embargoed: 17th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVAEZ30WX2UZBYBSO1XDO24SYU50
- Story Text: U.S. forces have freed a number of Iraqi prisoners.
U.S. forces released around a hundred prisoners on
Tuesday (June 29, 2004), a day after the formal handover of power
to the Iraqi government from the U.S.-led coalition.
Witnesses said two buses carrying some 70 detainees
from Bucca detention centre in Umm Qasr port in the
southern city of Basra arrived early at Amiriya military
base west of Baghdad escorted with U.S. military vehicles
before being released.
A number of tribal chiefs were waiting at the base for
the arrival of the prisoners.
The released prisoners said they hope that their fellow
prisoners who are still in detention would be freed.
"We are happy but we still have brothers still there in
a miserable condition," said Mazin Nofel
Others said that a large number of Iraqis are still
held at the detention centres.
"Of course I am happy to be freed but I do not want to
be happy for myself alone I want to be happy on the release
of my brothers who are still in prisons, in Abu Ghraib and
Bucca. When they released us they brought a list of 500
names who will put in prison," said Bashir Abdul Ghani.
Families of the detainees waited anxiously outside the
base for their loved ones to walk out, some of them burst
in tears when they did not see their relatives among the
released ones. Meanwhile, a number of prisoners were released
from the scandal-ridden prison of Abu Ghrain.
Buses loaded with prisoners left the sprawling prison
compound, infamous as a torture place under Saddam Hussein
escorted by U.S. military vehicles.
Families were waiting anxiously outside the
highly-fortified prison for their relatives to arrive.
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