Biden admin transfer 11 Gitmo prisoners to Oman
The Biden administration made a significant announcement on Monday regarding the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees from the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to Oman. The government of Oman has agreed to help resettle these detainees, who have been held for more than two decades without being charged or put on trial. This move comes as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the population at the controversial military facility and ultimately close it down.
The detainees, all captured in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, were identified as 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.
The transfer was conducted as a secret operation on Monday, just days before Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, was set to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. The decision to transfer the detainees to Oman had been in the works for about three years, after facing opposition from congressional lawmakers.
The reasons behind Oman being chosen as the host country for these detainees were not disclosed. However, Oman is known as one of the United States’ most stable allies in the Middle East. The transfer leaves just 15 men detained at Guantanamo, the lowest number since 2002 when the facility was established as part of the “War on Terror.”
The detainees at Guantanamo come from various countries, with most of them being from Yemen, a nation plagued by conflict and instability. The move to transfer these detainees to Oman is seen as a step towards closing down the Guantanamo Bay facility and addressing the legal and ethical concerns surrounding the prolonged detention of individuals without trial.
This development marks a significant milestone in the efforts to address the legacy of Guantanamo Bay and ensure that justice is served in a manner that upholds the rule of law and human rights. The Biden administration’s decision to transfer these detainees to Oman reflects a commitment to resolving long-standing issues related to Guantanamo and moving towards a more just and humane approach to national security and counterterrorism efforts.
