operated under the 96-hour rule since December 2005 . But soldiers interviewed by CNN said it could put them in danger because it forces them to release detainees in a short time span . The rule , contained in a directive outlining International Security Assistance Force detention policies , resulted from consultations with U.S. military and Afghan commanders , said James Appathurai , spokesman for NATO . CNN 's Abbie Boudreau 's blog : At the 96th hour `` We have to balance the requirement for protecting our soldiers with the reality that Afghanistan is a sovereign country , that there must be limits on the time we can detain Afghans before handing them over to Afghan authorities , '' Appathurai said . `` The Afghan authorities can also talk with detainees to extract information . It is not as though the interrogation needs to end when we hand them over to the Afghan authorities . '' Gen. David Petraeus , the commander of U.S. Central Command , however , said he was not convinced that 96 hours was enough time -- particularly for high-value targets . `` Ninety-six hours is not enough if you are going to ensure that
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A controversial policy that limits the amount of time NATO troops can hold Afghan detainees is under review by U.S. Defense Department officials , a spokesman for the department told CNN . The review of what 's known as the `` 96-hour rule '' is under way as CNN questioned whether the policy was putting soldiers in danger . Under the rule , NATO troops have 96 hours to either turn over detainees to Afghan authorities or release them -- a rule put in effect to avoid Abu Ghraib-like offenses . `` We are currently reviewing the 96-hour rule , but have yet to make decisions about how we wish to proceed in light of some of the obvious problems associated with it , '' Geoff Morrell , deputy assistant secretary of defense , told CNN in a statement . `` As soon as we have something concrete to say about our way ahead with respect to this aspect of detainee operations , we will of course share it with the Afghan government , our allies in the fight and , of course , the public at large . '' NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan have