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NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

August 30, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-93


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


DETAINEE RELEASE BOARD REVIEWS 300 CASES DURING FIRST WEEK

The newly formed Combined Review and Release Board considered the detention of 300 security detainees during its first week of deliberation ending Saturday. The board will consider the release, release with a guarantor or the continued detention of nearly 3,700 eligible security detainees.

The nine-member board brings together six representatives from the Interim Iraqi Government's Ministries of Justice, Interior and Human Rights, with three senior officers from the Multi-National Force, to determine which detainees remain a security threat as a result of anti-Iraqi activities.

The CRRB conducted its first meeting Aug. 21 and meets at least three days per week. The board will continue to meet as long as it is deemed necessary for MNF-I to hold security detainees, as authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1546.

The UNSCR provides the basis for review, stating the "multi-national force in Iraq shall have the authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq." This includes "internment where this is necessary for imperative reasons of security."

The new process replaces the previous MNF-I board consisting of three senior officers, providing greater oversight by the Iraqi government in the review process and further ensuring that the circumstances surrounding a detainee's capture are reviewed impartially to determine whether he should continue to be held.

The CRRB considers several factors when reviewing each file, such as the circumstances of the detainee's capture, the length of detention prior to review, the level of cooperation by the detainee and the detainee's potential for further acts of anti-Iraqi misconduct if released.

The final approval for all releases rests with the MNF's Deputy Commanding General for Detainee Operations, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who will make a decision after consultation with the Iraqi Minister of Justice. Miller has vowed to accept the board's recommendations unless substantial additional information about a detainee becomes available that would cause the file to be sent back to the board for further review.

Currently, the MNF detains about 5,300 individuals for imperative reasons of security. A legal review of all files is conducted before they are sent to the CRRB to determine if criminal charges are warranted. About 700 detainees are subject to criminal charges that will be prosecuted in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq and will not be considered by the board. Many of the individuals who will not be recommended for release by the board are also likely to face criminal charges for their activities.

The CRRB gives the interim government a strong hand in determining which individuals remain a threat for anti-Iraqi activities, such as possession of illegal weapons, attacks on Multi-National Forces, producing and emplacing improvised explosive devices and financing insurgent activities.

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