December 24, 2005
Statement by Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and General George Casey
Multi-National Force-Iraq
Twenty-two detainees were released this week. They were being held under UNSCR 1546, which authorizes Coalition Forces to detain individuals posing threats to security. MNF-I determined that the 22 individuals no longer posed a security threat to the people of Iraq and to the Coalition Forces and, therefore, had no legal basis to hold them any longer. The detainees have been released in Iraq. We have not transported any of them outside Iraq or provided them with passports or other travel documents.
We have had ongoing discussions over a 14-month period with the Iraqi Government about releasing these detainees. The Iraqi Government was informed that the U.S. Government could no longer hold these individuals. The decision to release them was based on law, not on politics or any other consideration. The freed detainees are Iraqi citizens and are entitled to all the rights and responsibilities allowed by law.
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