As his term nears its end, President Joe Biden has released more than a dozen Yemenis from Cuba's Guantanamo Bay prison as part of a larger goal to permanently close the facility.
On Monday, the Department of Defense announced Eleven prisoners will be transferred to Oman: Uthman Abd Al Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moas Hamza Ahmed Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhail Abdul Anam Al Sharabi, Hani Saleh Rashid Abu Dora, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali Al-Lamma, Sanad Ali Islam Al-Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Atash, Sharqawi Abd Ali Al-Hajj, Abd al-Salam al-Hira.
Both Alwi and Alsharabi worked as bodyguards for the late Osama bin Laden, former leader of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and organizer of the September 11 attacks.
Alwi, who is also believed to be a member of al-Qaeda, served as a security guard for bin Laden in Afghanistan. A 2016 intelligence file states that since his arrest, he has received a “pardon” for numerous violations at Gitmo, and based on some of his prison statements, shows that he remains a “radical” He suggested that there is a possibility that he has a “school of thought.” new york post Reported.
In addition to working as bin Laden's bodyguard, another alleged al-Qaeda member, al-Shalabi, was also involved in an “aborted 9/11-style hijacking plot in Southwest Asia,” according to a 2020 intelligence file. is also said to have been involved.
None of the 11 detainees transferred have ever been charged with a crime, but U.S. courts have never reached a clear conclusion on whether enemy combatants should be treated as criminal suspects.
All 11 prisoners at Gitmo are Yemenis who were captured shortly after 9/11. All of these are scheduled to be transferred to Oman in September 2023 as part of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's commitment.
“The United States is committed to the willingness of the Government of Oman and other partners to support continued U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the number of detainees and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility. Thank you,” a Department of Defense press release said.
None of the 11 detainees transferred have been charged with a crime; american court It has never been firmly settled whether enemy combatants captured on the battlefield should be treated as criminals, entitled to full due process rights, and subject to the justice system.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is an exception. After more than 20 years working at Gitmo, Muhammad is expected to plead guilty to plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks and avoid the death penalty. fox news Reported.
Co-conspirators Walid bin Atash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, who have also been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003, were also offered plea deals.
With 11 detainees gone, only 15 prisoners remain at Gitmo, a fraction of the number of prisoners held at Gitmo at the height of the War on Terror. . In 2003 this facility 680 prisoners.
H/T: post-millennial generation
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