Nation in brief: Prisoner swap concerns U.S.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed concern Thursday over the Afghan government’s decision to free five Taliban prisoners in exchange for the freedom of an Italian journalist.

Asked at a Pentagon news conference whether he was troubled by the deal, given that it implies the Afghan government has let Taliban militants resume their fight against U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Gates replied, “Yes.”

“This was between the Afghan government and the Italians,” he added. “We are not the sovereign government of Afghanistan, so I think we have influence but we don’t have the authority or the ability to dictate decisions to that government.”

Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who writes for Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, was freed Monday after two weeks in captivity with the Taliban.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States did not approve of the deal.

“Our views are … very clear: We don’t negotiate with terrorists; we don’t advise others to do so as well,” McCormack said. “The concern I think is obvious, in that you have individuals who are potentially quite dangerous who have been released from prison.”

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

Iraqi officer disappears in U.S.

An Iraqi military officer attending an Air Force training program has disappeared, and federal and local law enforcers are searching for him, a Customs official said Thursday.

The Iraqi was attending a Defense Department training course through the Air University at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, said Temple Black, a Customs spokesman. His identity was not released.

“There is no indication that this student is a national security or public safety concern,” Black said in the brief statement.

The Washington Times reported Thursday that the Iraqi “left a note stating that he was leaving the yearlong military course because he did not want to return to war-torn Iraq.”