Five Yemenis transferred by US from Guantanamo to Oman, Estonia: Pentagon
Detainees cleared for release nearly five years ago transferred abroad despite Republicans objections as Obama moves to fulfil election promise to close Cuba detention centre
The Pentagon transferred five Yemenis held at Guantanamo prison to foreign custody on Wednesday in the first handover of detainees this year, sending four to Oman and one to Estonia despite Republican calls for a moratorium on the resettlements.
US officials said all five Yemenis, held for a dozen or more years at the military prison at a US 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 US 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 centre, which was opened in 2002 to house detainees in the US 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 per cent 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 last year, the most since 2009.
