Pentagon says US, Afghanistan reach agreement on Parwan Detention Facility transfer

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon says the U.S. has reached an agreement with the Afghanistan government to transfer the Parwan Detention Facility to Afghan control.

The agreement comes two weeks after negotiations broke down over whether the U.S. would have the power to block the release of detainees considered dangerous.

Transfer of Parwan is critical to the ongoing effort to gradually shift control of the country’s security to the Afghans as the U.S. and allies move toward the full withdrawal of combat troops by the end of 2014.

Afghans demanded control of the centre, but U.S. officials have worried that the most threatening detainees would be freed once the U.S. transferred control.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday as officials finalized the agreement after days of intense negotiations.