Iraq, U.S. Release 238 Detainees Ahead of December 15 Elections

http://www.aina.org/news/20051210144542.htm

Iraq, U.S. Release 238 Detainees Ahead of December 15 Elections

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. led coalition forces in Iraq and the Iraqi government released 238 detainees today ahead of the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, according to the U.S. embassy in the capital Baghdad.

The detainees' release, which follows the freeing of more than 200 detainees on Dec. 4, comes as an insurgent group has threatened to kill four kidnapped Christian peace activists unless all prisoners in the country are freed.

The detainees were released from the Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca prison facilities.

Coalition forces "will continue to release more and more detainees," the embassy said in a press release e-mailed to reporters. "With the standards and processes in place, we also hope with the releases there is an increasing level of stability and security in Iraq."