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Release A050827a

1,000 security detainees released from Abu Ghraib

Multi-National Force-Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq – At the request and with the assistance of the Iraqi government, Multi-National Force - Iraq accelerated the Combined Review and Release Board process to expedite the release of nearly 1,000 detainees from the Abu Ghraib Theater Internment Facility from Aug. 24 through Aug. 27.

Representing all Iraqi communities, these detainees were brought to Abu Ghraib from detention facilities throughout Iraq.

This major release, the largest to date, marks a significant event in Iraq's progress toward democratic governance and the rule of law, demonstrating the involvement of Iraq's government in the effort to provide both security and justice for all Iraqis.

Those chosen for release are not guilty of serious, violent crimes – such as bombing, torture, kidnapping, or murder – and all have admitted their crimes, renounced violence, and pledged to be good citizens of a democratic Iraq. Their cases were carefully reviewed on an individual basis by a combined board of Iraqi and Coalition officials, and decided in the light of Iraq's ongoing efforts to create peace and stability and build a brighter future for its citizens.

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