I wonder what tales these guys can regale their friends with.

Four "dangerous enemy combatants" have escaped from the main US base in Afghanistan, the US military has said.

A huge manhunt was launched around the Bagram air base north of the capital Kabul, after the men, said to be Arabs, escaped at about 0500 (0030 GMT).

The US says it is the first time any prisoner has escaped from Bagram.

Hundreds of detainees, most of them Afghan nationals but a number of senior foreign al-Qaeda suspects, are held at the detention centre.

The BBC also reports:

The Bagram facility has proved controversial.

US soldiers there have been accused of a number of abuses of prisoners - including torture and the deaths of two inmates - sparking criticism from human rights groups and a thorough investigation by the US military.

The details of the investigation were leaked to the New York Times in May.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was shocked by the report and called for the guilty to be punished.

Seven US servicemen have been charged in relation to the two deaths at Bagram in 2002.

Monday's escape came as the US pledged another 700 extra troops to bolster security ahead of September's parliamentary elections.

700 more troops! To the country that was, and still is, home of the Taliban. The country that is unsafe for even our special forces. The country where the 9/11 attackers were supposedly trained and indoctrinated. The country that was, and perhaps still is, home of Osama bin Laden.

Again, maybe someone can remind me why it's so wonderful we left the Afghan war unfinished and rushed off to Iraq?

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