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ZHARAY DISTRICT, Afghanistan – Zharay District officials, including an influential village elder and a local mullah, along with the Commander of Combined Task Force Spartan, had some stern warnings for five detainees before releasing them back to their village during a detainee release ceremony held at the Zharay District Center, Aug. 28.
“The Americans know they gain nothing by Afghanistan becoming a better country,” said the local Mullah. “They want Afghanistan to become a better country for the Afghan people. So why do you want to hurt the progress being made in our country?”
The commander of CTF Spartan, Col. Patrick Frank, told the former detainees that because of the generosity bestowed on them by Haji Abdul Wali, a village elder from Nalgham, that they would be released back to the community in observance of Eid-Al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. He did however, tell them that they must enter into Afghanistan’s Peace and Reintegration Program, which provides former insurgents a three-month stipend and training in a skilled trade.
“The Taliban cannot do that,” advised Frank. “The Taliban is not going to train you in a skill.”
The five men were detained by coalition forces during an air assault operation in central Zharay District, Aug. 15. Two of them were captured after riding away on a motorcycle from a suspected enemy compound. A third man riding along, remains in jail as a suspected insurgent leader.
The other three detainees were captured in a different compound with homemade bomb-making material and pictures of insurgents with weapons hanging on the walls.
During the release ceremony, each of the men was read an oath that said Afghan government and coalition forces’ leaders have agreed that their release benefits the peace and partnership between “all ethnic groups.” It also obliged them to “become a contributing member of the community in the historic effort to rebuild [Afghanistan].”
The former insurgents then each inked their thumbprint on the oath, a traditional Afghan method used in place of signing a document. Haji Abdul Wali and the Mullah also signed sections of the oath guaranteeing the “mature and peaceful future actions” of these men.
Before their release, the five men were enrolled into a biometrics database, which would alert coalition forces if they are ever detained again for insurgent activity.
Frank concluded the ceremony by reminding each of the men that in Pashtun culture, promises are kept, and their thumbprints on the oaths signified their obligation to stay away from insurgents operating in the area.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.30.2011 08:51 |
| Story ID: | 76164 |
| Location: | ZHARAY DISTRICT, AF |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Zharay district officials, coalition forces release five detainees from Nalgham, by CPT Kevin Sandell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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