Transfer of US prison to Afghans delayed again

KABUL (AP) - The long-awaited transfer of the US detention centre in Afghanistan was delayed once again Saturday as a deal struck between the two governments broke down the day before a planned handover ceremony.

The delay suggests that the two sides have yet to resolve thorny issues such as whether Afghans can be held without trial and whether the US will have the power to block the release of detainees it considers particularly dangerous.

It also throws a pall over ongoing negotiations for a bilateral security agreement that would govern the presence of US forces in Afghanistan after the current combat mission ends in 2014.

As recently as Friday morning, Afghan workers at the Defence Ministry were arranging transport for dignitaries and journalists to attend Saturday's ceremony at the detention center adjoining the Bagram Air Field, a US base about an hour outside of the capital.