The Pentagon announced Monday that it has released 11 Yemeni detainees with suspected ties to al-Qaeda from the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba.
The detainees, none of whom have been charged with a crime, will be resettled in Oman as the Biden administration continues its efforts to wind down operations at the notorious detention facility.
“Although different processes, each of the 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,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. The Pentagon also noted that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin notified Congress in 2023 of his intent to repatriate the 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman.
“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 DoD added.
Among those released was Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, an alleged al Qaeda fighter and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. An unclassified 2016 U.S. intelligence file on al-Alwi warned that as a Guantanamo detainee, he “has made several statements since early 2016 that suggest he maintains an extremist mindset.”
The intelligence file also documented disciplinary infractions committed by al-Alwi during his detention, though many of these were reportedly “pardoned” as part of an “incentive for detainees to improve their conduct.”
The other detainees being resettled in Oman are: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj, and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah.
This release is part of the Biden administration’s broader efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay facility, which has long been criticized by human rights organizations and international observers. However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers and families of 9/11 victims, who have voiced concerns over the potential threat posed by releasing detainees with alleged ties to terrorist organizations.
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. The proposed deals, which would spare the men the death penalty, were met with strong opposition from 9/11 families, Republican lawmakers, and even the Secretary of Defense.
* The New York Post contributed to this article.
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