Iraq To Release 2,500 Prisoners

Relatives of Iraqi detainees arrested by British forces protest on June outside a British military base in Al-Basrah (epa) June 6, 2006 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki today said he will order the release of 2,500 prisoners against whom there is no clear evidence.

He said the prisoners would be released from U.S.-run detention centers and Iraqi custody.

The prime minister said the move is intended to bolster "national reconciliation."

(AFP, Reuters)