Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered the release of 72 prisoners in defiance of U.S. pressure. The Obama administration says the prisoners were involved in killing U.S. troops and Afghan civilians, but Karzai says there is insufficient evidence to warrant their continued detention. The prisoners’ fate is the latest issue to strain U.S.-Afghan relations amidst Karzai’s standoff with the White House over a long-term security pact. A number of U.S. lawmakers have threatened to cut aid to Afghanistan over the prisoners’ release.