The Pentagon says that 15 Guantanamo Bay detainees have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the largest transfer under the Obama administration.
A US Department of State official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that 12 of the men are Yeminis and the other three are Afghans.
The transfer brings to 61 the population of inmates in the facility, where about 780 inmates have been imprisoned since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
“The United States is grateful to the government of the United Arab Emirates for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close” Guantanamo, the Pentagon said in a statement on Monday.
The Pentagon has had difficulty finding a third country to take Yemeni detainees as they cannot go home due to the Saudi aggression against the country.
The former detainees, once transferred, are usually freed as long as they are being supervised and undergo rehabilitation programs.
Amnesty…