After sharp criticisms from the US to the decision for release of 88 Taliban prisoners, President Hamid Karzai acted to prevent a potential damage in relations, ordering that they should remain in custody for now. His intervention came after some US senators warned that release of the most dangerous elements of the Taliban prisoners would further deteriorate the already-tense relations of Afghanistan and the United States. The warning came after a commission responsible for considering Bagram prisoners’ cases ordered release of more than six hundred Taliban prisoners, including dozens of potentially dangerous elements of the Taliban militants. US senators have also warned Afghan president Hamid Karzai that Afghanistan would become another Iraq if the country fails to conclude the bilateral security agreement with the United States.

The visit of US senators from Kabul and their meeting with President Hamid Karzai is taking place in a very important period of time when the relations between the two countries have plunged into the lowest in recent years. Failures over securing a bilateral security deal between Kabul and Washington has considerably affected the overall cooperation between the two countries in the war against insurgency as well as the ongoing security transition. This lack of sufficient cooperation was particularly highlighted last week when Washington angrily reacted to the Afghan government’s decision to release hundreds of Taliban prisoners including dozens of elements who are deemed as ‘dangerous’ by the United States. According to the US senators, those prisoners have killed dozens of Afghan security forces and American soldiers.

The latest controversies over the release of Taliban prisoners suggested that the two countries needed to quickly mend ties and mutual cooperation over the fight against the Taliban as well as the peace negotiations with the militant groups. Given the crucial process of security transition and the US role in Afghanistan’s peace efforts, both Kabul and Washington are in a dire need to amend ties and boost cooperation. The quick trend of developments over the release of hundreds of Taliban prisoners showed and Washington’s angry response showed that the two countries have long ceased cooperation over even most sensitive issues such as release of Taliban prisoners who were once held by US forces.

To help resolving the impasse of almost-zero level cooperation between Kabul and Washington, the Afghan government needs to act promptly for resolving the remaining issues pertaining to the security deal with the United States. And enhanced relations and extensive cooperation between Afghanistan and the United States is needed for success of the security transition, Afghanistan’s elections and any possible negotiations with the Taliban.

For achieving this, Afghanistan and the US should show more determination and flexibility to understand each other’s demands and intentions. Regarding the controversy of Taliban release, Afghanistan needs to be more cautious about who are going to be freed from prison. No doubt that the potentially dangerous elements of the Taliban, who have bloods of Afghan and US forces on their hands, should not released from prisons as part of a haphazard and recklessly-handled program.

Regarding the fate of hundreds of Taliban prisoners behind bars, the Afghan government’s determination in dealing with the cases of those prisoners who might be innocent is praiseworthy. The government and particularly the judiciary must efficiently deal with the cases of prisoners who are accused of being involved in anti-government activities. However, the government should deal with the Taliban prisoners more deliberately and release them only if found innocent. Many of the prisoners, though not all of them, are potentially dangerous elements which could end up in the battlefields if released from prison.

In the past, the Afghan government has been harshly criticized for its reckless handling of the Taliban prisoners’ cases. The opposition parties and civil organizations believe that the government usually releases the Taliban prisoners without confirming their innocence. In the past few years, there have been instances of prisoners, who had been pardoned by President Karzai himself, coming back to carry out terrorist attack on government installations, security forces and government officials. A number of senior government and security officials have been targeted, in some cases assassinated, by militants who have spent some years behind the bars.

Releasing the militants, who in most cases are potentially dangerous, is a reward for the Taliban militant group who are killing innocent citizens and Afghan security forces on daily basis. There is dire need for the Afghan government to review its policy of dealing with war prisoners and not haphazardly release the militant prisoners who could pose potential threat to the Afghan security forces and foreign forces should not be released until their innocence is proved.

This flawed handling of the security prisoners could not be sustained in the future given that the war against the insurgency may continue for an unknown period of time in the future. If the government persists with the flawed policy towards the militants, it will jeopardize the lives and sacrifices of security forces that are fighting in the battlefields. Releasing potential dangerous elements will contribute to further security deterioration as they might end up in fighting against Afghan national security forces.

Therefore, the government needs to take an extensive and efficient approach in dealing with the war prisoners that have been involved in terrorist activities and remain potentially threatening to the Afghan security forces. For this, in particular, the Afghan judiciary needs to be strengthened and equipped with internationally standards for handling the cases of the war prisoners and terrorism suspects.