U.S. sending Muslim chaplain to detainees

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has decided to send a Muslim chaplain to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to help meet the religious needs of Taliban detainees.

The military base at that location has an on-site Catholic chaplain but no Muslim one, The Washington Post reported. The action follows stated concerns by rights groups about U.S. treatment of the al-Qaida and Taliban detainees.

The prisoners are being held in open-air, 6- by 8-foot cells under very tight security. They are allowed to pray several times a day. Photographs have shown them kneeling on the ground wearing handcuffs.