The US Department of Defense announced on Monday that 11 Yemeni detainees suspected of having ties to al-Qaeda have been released from Cuba's Guantanamo Bay military prison.
None of the detainees have been charged with a crime and will be resettled in Oman as the Biden administration moves to scale back operations at the notorious detention center.
“Although the processes differ, each of the 10 Yemeni detainees underwent a thorough interagency review by career experts and was unanimously determined to be eligible for removal consistent with U.S. national security interests. ” the Department of Defense announced. statement.
The Pentagon noted that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has notified Congress of his intention to return 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman in 2023.
“The United States is committed to the willingness of the Government of Oman and other partners to support the continued efforts of the United States focused on responsibly reducing the number of detainees and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility. Thank you,” the Department of Defense said.
Moas Hamza Ahmed Alwi, an alleged al-Qaeda fighter who was Osama bin Laden's bodyguard in Afghanistan, was one of the 11 people released.
Uncategorized 2016 US intelligence file On al-Alwi warned that the GITMO detainee had “made several statements since early 2016 that suggest he maintains extremist views.”
The file also notes that al-Alwi committed numerous disciplinary violations while in custody, but was “pardoned” as part of “encouraging detainees to improve their conduct.”
Suhail Abdul Anam al-Shalabi, another alleged bodyguard of bin Laden, was also released.
Al Sharabi 2020 intelligence file As a member of Al Qaeda, he “may have been involved in the aborted 9/11-style hijacking plot in Southwest Asia.”
The nine others released to Oman are Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Usman, Khalid Ahmed Qasim, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al Bihani, and Omar Mohammed. – Ali al-Lamma, Sanad Ali Islam al-Kazimi, and Hassan Muhammad Ali Bibb. Atash, Sharqawi Abd Ali Al Hajj, Abd Al Salam Al Hillah.
The latest round of transfers follows the Pentagon's announcement in December that detainee Rida bin Saleh al-Yazidi had been resettled in Tunisia.
According to the Pentagon, there are 15 detainees remaining at Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, three of whom are eligible for transfer and three eligible for a review of their detention status.
Seven additional inmates are involved in military commission proceedings, and two others have been convicted and sentenced by military commissions.
Last year, the Biden administration offered plea deals to alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-conspirators Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. All three have been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003.
The deal, which was denounced by 9/11 families, Republican lawmakers and the secretary of defense, would spare terrorist suspects the death penalty.
