Red Cross criticizes U.S., urges reforms at prison in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Red Cross criticized the way the U.S. handles prisoners at the highly secretive Bagram military base, urging reforms Monday that would allow detainees to introduce testimony in their defense.

The criticism of the prison, which few outsiders have seen, goes to the heart of the system the Bush administration uses to justify holding detainees outside the U.S.

Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said many of the 600-plus detainees at Bagram complain they do not even know why they are being held. Kellenberger spent a half day at the prison during a one-week visit to Afghanistan that ended Monday.

''They do not know what the future brings, how long will they be there and under which conditions will they be released,'' Kellenberger said.

While Kellenberger's comments were aimed specifically at Bagram, Red Cross chief spokesman Florian Westphal said there was ''a strong parallel'' with the U.S. military detention centers in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.