U.S. Transfers Prison to Afghans

The United States handed over control of the only prison still under its control in Afghanistan on Monday. Bagram prison, which holds in excess of 3,000 Taliban members and prisoners suspected of ties to terrorist groups, was built three years ago near an important American airfield outside Kabul. The handover is a political coup for Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a crucial step toward giving control of key institutions to Afghan personnel before most American troops pull out in 2014. The prison came to international attention this year in connection to what has been called the accidental burning of Qurans from the prison’s library by American forces.