Sen. Cotton slams Obama for latest Gitmo transfer

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wants assurances that Saudi Arabia will monitor a recently transferred Guantanamo Bay detainee.

“Congress should be provided with the memorandum of understanding regarding this transfer so we can fully understand the commitments made by Saudi Arabia to monitor this individual,” Cotton said in a written statement Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced Abdul Shalabi has been transferred back to his home country, bringing the number of detainees at the military facility to 114.

Shalabi, 39, has been at Guantánamo since 2002, according to military files published by The New York Times. He is alleged to have been a member of al Qaeda and a bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, according to the files.

The Obama administration has been working to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility to fulfill a promise the president made during his first presidential campaign.

In his statement, Cotton criticized President Obama for, he said, putting politics ahead of national security.

“The release of this dangerous detainee, Abdul al Shalabi, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another example of President Obama playing politics with national security and putting campaign promises ahead of U.S. national security interests,” Cotton said. “It’s concerning that (Defense) Secretary (Ash) Carter would authorize this transfer, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s recidivism track record.”