Mr. Karzai raised no public objections to troop cuts, saying he had obtained two important concessions from the United States: the transfer of prisons housing terrorism suspects to Afghan control, and the pullout of American troops from Afghan villages this spring.
Mr. Qazi, the chief of the Afghan commission, told reporters that Afghan officials considered transfer of the prison a critical matter of national sovereignty.
Transfer of the prison's oversight is considered a crucial step in the gradual winding down of America's war in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Mr. Karzai said, "I consider the transfer of Bagram prison to the Afghan government a victory for the people of Afghanistan and a big step toward consolidation of the government's sovereignty".
The move came after what Mr. Karzai said was the expiration of a two-month grace period, agreed to by President Obama, to complete the transfer of the prison at Bagram Air Base.
KABUL, Afghanistan — The promised American transfer of Bagram Prison to Afghan control collapsed once again on Saturday amid misunderstandings and recriminations between the two allies, punctuated by a deadly bombing outside the Afghan Defense Ministry.
Despite the government's upbeat ceremony, the transfer of the prison has become a considerable source of tension as the Americans prepare to withdraw and Afghans take on increasing control over security in the country.
As for the transfer of the prison – now rebuilt at a new site next to the air base and renamed the Afghan National Detention Facility at Parwan – Mr Karzai said it was "a very good day" for Afghanistan.
Somewhat more successfully, Mr Dunford and the resident ambassador arranged for the transfer of Bagram prison to Afghan authorities, but this came at a painful cost, as it resulted in the release of some inmates whom the Americans regard as having blood on their hands.For better or worse, Mr Karzai won each of those battles, as perhaps the leader of a sovereign country should.
A federal judge denied a request yesterday by Vincent Gigante, left, the Mafia chief, that he be transferred out of prison for medical treatment.
