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Taliban tunnel: Five prison escapes in Iraq, Afghanistan

Taliban sympathizers must surely be heartened by today's spectacular escape of some 500 inmates from a Kandahar prison through a 1,180-foot tunnel. Here's a short list of recent jail breaks (and one near-escape) in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Out the window in Tikrit: 16 inmates

  • By Stephen Kurczy Staff writer

Inmates saw a window of opportunity at a US-run prison in the Iraqi city of Tikrit. In September 2009, prisoners used a wrench to unscrew a window grate in a bathroom of the prison, reported The New York Times, enabling 16 inmates to slip out and down a 12-foot high wall.

The Associated Press reported that the escapees were being held on charges including terrorism, kidnapping and murder, and five were Al Qaeda-linked prisoners awaiting execution.

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