US Transfers 11 Detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Oman

January 7, 2025 TruthUSA

The most recent transfer brings the total number of detainees at the facility down to 15, marking the lowest number since 2002.

This week, the United States sent 11 Yemeni men to Oman after they spent over twenty years without charge at Guantanamo Bay, as announced by the Pentagon on Monday.

This action represents the most significant effort by the Biden administration to reduce the detainee population at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, focusing on those who have never been charged with any crime, according to the Associated Press.

An interagency review board reached a unanimous decision that the detainees were suitable for transfer, aligning with U.S. national security interests. The government of Oman consented to assist in their resettlement.

“The United States values the readiness of the Government of Oman and other partners in supporting U.S. efforts aimed at responsibly decreasing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” stated the Department of Defense (DOD) in a press release.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed Congress of his plans to repatriate the detainees in September 2023.

The individuals transferred include: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi, 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.

President Joe Biden committed early in his presidency to closing Guantanamo Bay following a comprehensive review of the detention center, building on efforts initiated by President Barack Obama.

The detention center was first established under the George W. Bush administration in January 2002 in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, intended to detain individuals suspected of being linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban within what the U.S. government termed its “war on terror.”

However, for over 20 years, the facility has faced significant criticism regarding the treatment of its detainees and the prolonged detention of individuals without trial. Amnesty International has described the center as “a symbol of torture, rendition, and indefinite detention without charge or trial.”

In 2021, Austin expressed in written testimony for his Senate confirmation that, while the facility had served its purpose, it should ultimately be closed.

“Guantanamo has provided us the capability to conduct law of war detention in order to keep our enemies off the battlefield, but I believe it is time for the detention facility at Guantanamo to close,” Austin stated.

The recent transfers now leave 15 detainees remaining at the facility, the lowest count recorded since 2002. At its highest capacity, Guantanamo Bay housed approximately 700 detainees.

Among the current detainees, six have never faced any charges.

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