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 U.S. officials said all five Yemenis, held for a dozen or more
years at the military prison at a U.S. Navy base in Cuba, had been
cleared for release nearly five years ago by a multi-agency task
force that included intelligence, diplomatic and military officials.
The transfer took place just a day after several Republican U.S.
senators, including Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, proposed
legislation to place a moratorium on the release of most of the
Guantanamo prisoners, saying they posed too much danger to the
United States and its allies.
President Barack Obama has promised to close the internationally
condemned detention center, which was opened in 2002 to house
detainees in the U.S. campaign against al Qaeda.
His efforts have been blocked by lawmakers who reject the plan,
including Senator John McCain, his Republican opponent in the 2008
presidential election, who said this week 30 percent of the released
detainees have re-entered the fight against the United States.
Obama recently pledged to step up the closure effort, and the
administration moved 28 prisoners from Guantanamo in 2014, the most
since 2009.
The transfer on Wednesday leaves 122 detainees still at the
facility. Fifty-four of those, including 47 Yemenis, have been
approved for resettlement, while the rest are considered too
dangerous to release.
The Pentagon identified the detainee sent to Estonia as Ahmed Abdul
Qader, about 31, who had been held 12 years at Guantanamo.
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Those sent to Oman were Al-Khadr Abdallah Muhammad al-Yafi, about
44, who had been held 13 years; Abdul Rahaman Atah Mahmood Shubatti,
about 32 and imprisoned 12 years; Fadil Husayn Salih Hintif, about
33 and imprisoned 12 years; and Mohammed Ahmed Salam, 34, who was
detained 12 years.
U.S. officials insisted security had been a top concern in
considering the releases.
"We take our obligation to assess the security risk of detainees
seriously prior to transfers. As a result, more than 90 percent of
detainees transferred during the Obama administration live quietly
around the world," said Paul Lewis, the Defense Department's special
envoy for closing Guantanamo.
"Each of these five individuals was unanimously approved for
transfer more nearly five years ago by six departments and agencies
through the 2009 executive order task force," said Ian Moss, a
spokesman for Guantanamo issues at the State Department.
(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Paul Tait and Robert
Birsel)
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