The Biden administration announced on Monday the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees, including two former bodyguards for Osama bin Laden, from a US naval base in Cuba to Oman. The move comes as part of efforts to reduce the population at the controversial Guantanamo Bay facility.
The detainees were held without charge or trial for more than two decades following their capture in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. Among those released is Ahmed al-Alwi, an alleged al Qaeda fighter who was part of Osama bin Laden’s security detail in Afghanistan.
The transfer was carried out as part of a secret operation and follows a deal made by Guantanamo’s most notorious prisoner, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to plead guilty to plotting the 9/11 attacks in exchange for a life sentence. The move has been welcomed by some but heavily criticized by Republicans and 9/11 families.
The US has praised Oman’s willingness to support the re-settlement of the detainees, with the Defense Department saying it appreciates the country’s commitment to reducing the detainee population at Guantanamo. The transfer brings the total number of men detained at the facility down to just 15, the fewest since its establishment in 2002.
Seven others remain being held at Guantanamo, including six never-charged men and two convicted inmates. Most of those detained are from Yemen, where the country is currently embroiled in a war dominated by Iran-backed rebels.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-sends-11-guantanamo-detainees-oman-resettlement