U.S. military defends detention policy

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The U.S. military on Sunday defended its detention of about 500 inmates at its main base in Afghanistan, saying they are treated humanely and provided the "best possible living conditions."
The New York Times on Sunday reported that inmates are held by the dozen in wire cages at the Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul -- some for as long as two or three years without access to lawyers or the chance to hear the allegations against them.
The report, citing unnamed military officials and former detainees, said that inmate numbers had grown sharply, partly because "enemy combatants" caught during the hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Afghanistan were no longer being transferred to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Col. James Yonts, U.S. military spokesman, would not confirm or deny whether inmates are held for up to three years, saying the secretary of defense sets the criteria for detention.