Five women prisoners were released Thursday in Iraq, among 424 total detainees released. "As a result of detailed screening, they were determined not to be a problem in Iraq," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch U.S. Military spokesmen said.
The release process started before the abduction of U.S. journalist Jill Carroll. This is part of a normal process and not as a result of demands by terrorists and criminals. "We don't negotiate with terrorists and criminals," Lynch reiterated.
"Hamas joins those who ask to release American citizen Jill Carroll. We have declared many times we are totally against kidnapping civilians," Hamas official, Saeed Syam said on Monday.
