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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Britain Detains Suspected Insurgents at Afghan Base for Months | Britain Detains Suspected Insurgents at Afghan Base for Months |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| LONDON — Up to 90 Afghans are being held at a British military facility in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed Wednesday, while rejecting comparisons between their detention and that of detainees at the American prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. | LONDON — Up to 90 Afghans are being held at a British military facility in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed Wednesday, while rejecting comparisons between their detention and that of detainees at the American prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. |
| Mr. Hammond said that the number of suspected insurgents held by British forces at their base in Camp Bastion was higher than normal because of problems in handing them over to the Afghan legal system. | Mr. Hammond said that the number of suspected insurgents held by British forces at their base in Camp Bastion was higher than normal because of problems in handing them over to the Afghan legal system. |
| The British government argues that, unlike those held in Cuba, detainees in Camp Bastion are in the process of being handed over to the Afghan authorities who will then decide what action to take against them within their legal framework. | The British government argues that, unlike those held in Cuba, detainees in Camp Bastion are in the process of being handed over to the Afghan authorities who will then decide what action to take against them within their legal framework. |
| “The system has been blocked up because of the problems with transfer into the Afghan system,” Mr. Hammond said. “We would normally expect to be holding probably in the region of 20-odd people that are in the process of being passed on to the national directorate of security, the Afghan internal security service.” | “The system has been blocked up because of the problems with transfer into the Afghan system,” Mr. Hammond said. “We would normally expect to be holding probably in the region of 20-odd people that are in the process of being passed on to the national directorate of security, the Afghan internal security service.” |
| “These people are being held pending transfer to the Afghan national security system. Within that system they would have access to Afghan lawyers,” he added. | “These people are being held pending transfer to the Afghan national security system. Within that system they would have access to Afghan lawyers,” he added. |
| Mr. Hammond said “the assertion that this is a secret facility is patently ridiculous,” adding that Parliament had been informed about the detentions, which he described as “a vital part of our force protection.” | Mr. Hammond said “the assertion that this is a secret facility is patently ridiculous,” adding that Parliament had been informed about the detentions, which he described as “a vital part of our force protection.” |
| But British lawyers acting for some of the men want them charged or released, arguing that they have been held for up to 14 months without the start of formal legal proceedings in what could amount to unlawful detention. | But British lawyers acting for some of the men want them charged or released, arguing that they have been held for up to 14 months without the start of formal legal proceedings in what could amount to unlawful detention. |
| The dispute highlights the dilemma facing British and other NATO forces in Afghanistan over what to do with detainees suspected of having links to insurgent groups and concerns about their treatment if they are handed over to the Afghan authorities. | The dispute highlights the dilemma facing British and other NATO forces in Afghanistan over what to do with detainees suspected of having links to insurgent groups and concerns about their treatment if they are handed over to the Afghan authorities. |
| Mr. Hammond criticized the legal challenge by lawyers in Britain, arguing that some of the detainees had sought to attack British forces. | Mr. Hammond criticized the legal challenge by lawyers in Britain, arguing that some of the detainees had sought to attack British forces. |
| “They are asking the court to order us to release these people, to turn them back onto the battlefield, so they can carry on with the activities for which they were detained in the first place,” Mr. Hammond told the BBC, which first reported the detentions. | “They are asking the court to order us to release these people, to turn them back onto the battlefield, so they can carry on with the activities for which they were detained in the first place,” Mr. Hammond told the BBC, which first reported the detentions. |
| That would put British soldiers and other troops from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force at risk, Mr. Hammond added. | That would put British soldiers and other troops from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force at risk, Mr. Hammond added. |
| Camp Bastion is the largest British military base in Afghanistan, and Phil Shiner, a lawyer for some of the detainees, told the BBC that it has a “secret facility” that was “completely off the radar.” | Camp Bastion is the largest British military base in Afghanistan, and Phil Shiner, a lawyer for some of the detainees, told the BBC that it has a “secret facility” that was “completely off the radar.” |
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: May 29, 2013 | Correction: May 29, 2013 |
An earlier version of this article incorrectly | An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to Camp Bastion. It is the largest British camp in Afghanistan, not the last. |