Prisoner issue holding up reconciliation

BAGHDAD, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Sunni leaders in Iraq blame lack of progress on differences among various groups in the country on the incarceration of thousands of people.

The Integrated Regional Information Networks quotes the Sunni leaders as saying the prisoners feel they are being held captive for political reasons.

"Anyone who has not been convicted should be released immediately. The only exception would be for those accused of non-political crimes, kidnappings and killings," said Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the largest Sunni political block with 44 seats in parliament, IRIN reported.

The 24-point reconciliation plan, launched by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in June, promises to pardon detainees who were not involved in terrorist crimes and actions, and war crimes or crimes against humanity. It also promised to set up committees to review the files of the detainees.

But an analyst told IRIN that none of that has happened in the past three months and that the reconciliation committee has come to a halt.

The stalemate follows differences among Shiite and Sunni officials over amnesty for insurgents, says the report.

Maliki has said that insurgent killers would not escape justice.