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Five Iraqi women prisoners to be freed: ministry
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-25 20:15
Five Iraqi women prisoners whose release has become
linked to the case of kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll will be freed
from U.S. custody on Thursday, a Justice Ministry official said on Wednesday.
Technicians work at a uranium processing site
in Isfahan, Iran in this March 30, 2005 file photo. The foreign ministers
of the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members and Germany will
meet in London on Monday to try to agree on how to tackle Iran's nuclear
program, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
[Reuters] |
Iraqi officials have been at odds with their U.S. counterparts over the
release of the five, among eight women terrorism suspects in American custody in
Iraq.
The Justice Ministry said last week that six women were about to be freed,
but U.S. officials have insisted no releases are imminent.
Iraqi officials have suggested the delay in releasing the women was linked to
the demands of the kidnappers of Carroll, who threatened to kill her by last
Friday unless all women prisoners were freed.
The deadline passed with no word on the reporter's fate. The United States
says it does not negotiate with kidnappers.
A Justice Ministry official said 424 prisoners would be released on Thursday.
"Five of the six women detainees will be among them. The five have completed
their legal procedures, so will be released," the official, who declined to be
named, told Reuters. He had no information on the sixth woman.
U.S. forces had no immediate comment.
The detention of women offends many Iraqis and U.S. forces seek to avoid it
in most cases. The U.S. military is holding about 14,000 security detainees
following the release of about 500 guerrilla suspects last week.
Carroll was kidnapped on a Baghdad street on January 7 and her translator
killed. Muslim leaders have joined her family, friends and colleagues in calling
for her release.
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