In brief
In a landmark move, the U.S. military has sent 11 Yemeni prisoners from Guantánamo Bay to Oman, resulting in the lowest inmate count in the facility's history. This transfer marks a continued effort by the Biden administration to close the detention center.
The U.S. military has successfully transferred 11 Yemeni prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay to Oman, a move that has left only 15 men in what was once a controversial facility for over two decades. As the Biden administration approaches its conclusion, this action represents a remarkable step in a long-standing process to reduce the prison's population, which was 40 when he took office. The release comes with a significant context—none of the transferred men faced formal charges during their time at Guantánamo, highlighting an ongoing scrutiny over the detention practices. Most remaining inmates are either charged or convicted related to terrorist activities, contrasting the new group's status.The transfer occurred in the early hours of Monday, coinciding with a pivotal legal moment for the prison's most notorious inmate, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, poised to plead guilty to his role in the Sept. 11 attacks.Among those released were notable figures, including longtime hunger striker Moath al-Alwi and Abdulsalam al-Hela, who had links to high-profile defense cases. All detainees were cleared for transfer following careful evaluations by U.S. national-security committees. While U.S. officials have not disclosed specific details on agreements made with Oman, they confirmed that returning prisoners to Yemen was not an option due to ongoing civil unrest there—indicating the delicacy and complexity surrounding prisoner transfers in this geopolitically tense region.
