Executions in Afghanistan unlikely to change NATO policy of handing over prisoners

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/11/europe/EU-GEN-NATO-Afghanistan.php

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The execution this week of 15 prisoners by Afghan authorities is unlikely to change NATO's policy of handing over detainees to local forces, alliance officials said Thursday.

"It doesn't have a direct effect on the military operations," said Maj. Gen. Bruno Kasdorf, chief of staff with the NATO force in Afghanistan.

"With regard to handing over detainees, we have a standing operational procedure that is detailing under which conditions we do that. This was checked and scrutinized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and they were very happy with that," he told journalists through a video link from Kabul to NATO headquarters.

Afghanistan on Sunday shot to death 15 prisoners convicted on charges including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and adultery, according to Afghan officials. They said that no Taliban or al-Qaida fighters were among those executed.