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From the New York Times: The U.S. military sent 11 Yemeni prisoners at Guantánamo Bay to Oman to restart their lives, the Pentagon said on Monday, leaving just 15 men in the prison in a bold push at end of the Biden administration that has left the prison population smaller than at any time in its more than 20-year history.
None of the released men had been charged with crimes during their two decades of detention. Now, all but six of the remaining prisoners have been charged with or convicted of war crimes.
There were 40 detainees when President Biden took office and resurrected an Obama administration effort to close the prison.
The Pentagon carried out the secret operation in the early hours of Monday, days before Guantánamo’s most notorious prisoner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was scheduled to plead guilty to plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in exchange for a life sentence rather than face a death-penalty trial.
The handoff had been in the works for about three years. An initial plan to conduct the transfer in October 2023 was derailed by opposition from Congress.
“The remaining 15 detainees are held in two prison buildings with cell space for about 250 prisoners,” the Times reported.
Biden’s Defense Department announced the transfers in a press release Monday afternoon:
The Department of Defense announced today the resettlement of 11 Yemeni detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Oman. The 11 detainees are: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman (ISN 27), Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi (ISN 28), Khalid Ahmed Qassim (ISN 242), Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi (ISN 569), Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah (ISN 841), Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani (ISN 893), Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah (ISN 1017), Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi (ISN 1453), Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash (ISN 1456), Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj (ISN 1457), and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah (ISN 1463).
Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani (ISN 893) was deemed transfer eligible by the process established by the 2009 Executive Order 13492, “Review of Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities.” The other 10 Yemeni GTMO detainees transferred to the Government of Oman were determined eligible for transfer under the Periodic Review Board process established by Executive Order 13567, “Periodic Review of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station Pursuant to the Authorization for the Use of Military Force.”
Although different processes, each of the 10 Yemeni detainees underwent a thorough, interagency review by career professionals who unanimously determined all detainees as transfer eligible consistent with the national security interests of the United States.
On Sept. 15, 2023, Secretary of Defense Austin notified Congress of his intent to repatriate these 11 Yemeni detainees to the Government of Oman and, in consultation with our partners in Oman, we completed the requirements for transfer.
The United States appreciates the willingness of the Government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility.
The press release also announced:
Today, 15 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay: 3 are eligible for transfer; 3 are eligible for a Periodic Review Board; 7 are involved in the military commissions process; and 2 detainees have been convicted and sentenced by military commissions.
BREAKING NEWS from Guantanamo Bay: The U.S. military has just delivered 11 Yemeni prisoners to Oman, leaving the population at the detention center at its lowest number in its history. https://t.co/8uOtDeHCOE
— Carol Rosenberg (@carolrosenberg) January 6, 2025
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