9 Gitmo detainees released to Saudi Arabia

The Department of Defense announced Saturday that nine Guantánamo Bay detainees have been released to Saudi Arabia.

{mosads}The Pentagon said in a statement that the Guantánamo Review Task Force did a comprehensive review on each detainee’s case. Eight of the nine were approved for transfer unanimously, and one was approved by a consensus.

“The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” the Pentagon statement said. “The United States coordinated with government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.”

The statement said that 80 detainees now remain at Guantánamo.

The detainees released, all from Yemen, include hunger striker Tariq Ali Abdullah Ahmed Ba Odah. The other released detainees are: Ahmed Umar Abdullah Al-Hikimi, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Saleh Nasir, Ali Yahya Mahdi Al-Raimi, Muhammed Abdullah Muhammed Al-Hamiri, Ahmed Yaslam Said Kuman, Abd al Rahman Al-Qyati, Mansour Muhammed Ali Al-Qatta and Mashur Abdullah Muqbil Ahmed Al-Sabri.