US Transfers 11 Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Oman | US News
US military officials have verified that 11 men, who have been held without charge for over 20 years at Guantanamo Bay, have departed from Cuba.
The Pentagon announced on Monday that it transferred the detainees, who are Yemen nationals, from the US naval base to Oman.
This recent transfer reduces the number of men currently held at Guantanamo to 15, down from approximately 680 at its highest point in 2003, according to Pentagon figures.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the facility was established to detain mainly Muslim men from various countries during what the US termed its “war on terror”.
The detention center was initially opened in January 2002 by then-president George W Bush to house terrorism suspects and “illegal enemy combatants”.
Many were captured during the US-led military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other military and covert operations by the United States.
The facility has faced significant criticism from human rights organizations and legal advocates regarding potential violations of international law and the treatment of detainees.
The transfer of these latest 11 detainees marks a major effort by Joe Biden’s administration, especially in its concluding weeks, to reduce the number of prisoners at Guantanamo.
Among those released was Shaqawi al Hajj, who had engaged in multiple hunger strikes at Guantanamo to protest his 21 years of imprisonment.
He had also reportedly suffered torture during his time in CIA custody, as stated by the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights.
A detainee from Afghanistan is carried on a stretcher before being interrogated by military officials at Camp X-Ray at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Pic: AP
A significant number of those held in Guantanamo are from Yemen, a nation divided by conflict, with its capital controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group. Historically, al Qaeda has also been very active in the region.
The US military expressed gratitude in a statement, stating, “The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing US efforts aimed at responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility.”
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The sultanate of Oman, located on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, has not confirmed the acceptance of the detainees but has previously welcomed around 30 prisoners.
Among the remaining 15 detainees, the Pentagon stated that three are eligible for transfer and an equal number qualify for a periodic review board to assess their cases.
The others have either been charged with or convicted of war crimes.