Bush In Afghanistan On Surprise Visit

President Bush and Laura Bush arrived at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan Wednesday, on a surprise visit, his first ever to that country, as a drama unfolded at a Kabul prison. One of three American detainees at the prison - under inmate control since Saturday night - says rioting inmates Tuesday threatened to behead him, but now seem to have backed off that threat.

Mr. Bush's five-hour visit to Afghanistan, where he is meeting with President Hamid Karzai, is a show of support for the Afghan government at a time when it has been coping with increasing violence from al Queda and Taliban-linked militants.

Mr. Bush is expected in India later in the day Wednesday, where his planned arrival is already causing some problems, as tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in New Delhi chanting "Death to Bush!"

The Afghan stopover is President Bush's second visit to a war front. His first was a secret trip to have Thanksgiving Dinner in 2003 with U.S. troops in Iraq.

Speaking of secrecy concerns, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, "There are security precautions that were taken and we are confident in the security precautions that have been taken. One of those was not informing you of the trip until now."

While in Afghanistan, Mr. Bush is scheduled to preside at a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the U.S. Embassy. He is also expected to give a pep talk to U.S. troops at Bagram Air Base.

It is not clear whether the situation at the Kabul prison is on Mr. Bush's Wednesday agenda.

One of three Americans detained at Kabul's main prison said Wednesday that rioting inmates were holding him in his cell and had threatened to cut off his head.

Speaking to The Associated Press by mobile phone, Edward Caraballo said the prisoners made the threat on Tuesday, but that they had since backed off.

"Now they are afraid of it appearing that they've kidnapped me, so they're backing off," he said in an interview from his cell in Policharki prison. "Hopefully the situation will quieten down so I can walk out of here ... I just want to get out of here."

The rioting erupted late Saturday after prisoners refused to put on new uniforms, delivered in response to a breakout last month by seven Taliban inmates who had disguised themselves as visitors.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said it is aware of media reports about Caraballo and wants to see a peaceful resolution to the standoff at the prison.

"We are continuing to closely monitor the situation at the Policharki Prison and are in regular contact with the authorities. We would like to see the government of Afghanistan resolve this situation in a peaceful manner," he said.

Edward Caraballo, who is from New York, is one of three American detainees at the Kabul prison where inmates - reportedly incited by al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners - rioted late Saturday and still retain control of much of the jail. At least five inmates have died in the uprising.

He is serving a two-year sentence after he was arrested in July 2004, along with Jonathan Idema and Brent Bennett, and accused of running a private jail in Kabul as part of a freelance hunt for terrorists.

Caraballo claims he is a journalist and had believed he was chronicling a legitimate counter-terror operation.

AP also spoke briefly by cell phone to Idema, who said he and Bennett are in a different part of the prison which has not been affected by the rioting.

Caraballo said that prior to the riot and after a falling out with Idema, he had been moved to Block One of the prison - where hundreds of other criminals are housed.

Caraballo said all the doors inside Block One had been ripped down and that prisoners were moving around freely inside, and that they had told him to stay in his cell.

"There are no gates anymore. Everyone is walking around armed with sticks, pipes, chains, knives," he said.

"They said they were going to chop my head off. They said they were going to beat me and take my phone. At different times of the day they say different things," Caraballo said.

"At some times, they say I am their Muslim brother and that they mean me no harm," he said.

Caraballo, who is said to have converted to Islam after entering the prison, told the AP that other prisoners asked him to contact the media - apparently to focus attention on what is happening within the prison walls.

Caraballo said he had been vomiting for the past 24 hours after eating something bad, and hadn't slept for several days. Despite the prisoners backing off from threats against him, he said he still felt threatened.

"The prison has been taken over by 1,600 prisoners. I'm an American citizen," Caraballo said before hanging up, saying his cell phone battery was dying.

Security forces who have surrounded the prison on the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Wednesday prevented journalists from approaching closer than about half mile away. Afghan officials said it is "quiet" inside and there is no sound of gunfire.

Some of the prisoners at Policharki have cell phones and Afghan authorities have been trying to negotiate an end to the riot.

On Tuesday, violence broke out after what had been a 24-hour hiatus, as inmates tried to push down a gate, according to authorities who say police responded by opening fire, killing one inmate and injuring three others.

In all, five inmates have been killed since the uprising erupted and at least 41 have been wounded. Police have blamed about 350 Taliban and al Qaeda detainees - held in a different prison block to Caraballo - for inciting the riot.