More than 11 years after the US government opened its detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, 166 inmates remain at the prison, many without charge, while trial by military commission of five prisoners face further delays.
They quickly released all the Afghans inside, but 22 foreign prisoners required further thought.
Mr. Johndroe said the junta should release its political prisoners, halt further detentions, allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross "and treat their people with dignity and respect".
The prison abuse scandal refuses to die because soothing White House explanations keep colliding with revelations about dead prisoners and further connivance by senior military officers -- and newly discovered victims, like Sean Baker.
The crisis over the treatment of prisoners has further weakened Mr. Blair as Mr. Bush's principal ally in Iraq, and it has deflated his efforts to move the political agenda in Britain away from that issue.
The talks ended without much progress, but at least the ideas of a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners and further negotiations were left on the table.The Taliban may yet prove intransigent.
As the US secretary of state, John Kerry, continues to encourage the release of Palestinian prisoners to further the Middle East peace process, how admirable it would be if someone who risked his life and sanity for the very purpose of peace was finally allowed to lead a normal life in the country of his choosing.
Washington's willingness to help, an unusual step that – after one failed attempt – eventually led to the birth of baby Gema Hernández, was the first clue that within a year US officials would be prepared to drastically relax their view of the prisoners still further.
In refusing last week to settle for Mr. Netanyahu's compromise offers, including restrictions on Israeli troop activities in the West Bank, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners and further efforts to bolster the Palestinian economy, Mr. Obama sent Mr. Netanyahu back to Israel empty-handed, lengthening the deepest crisis between the two allies in years.
