This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30560747
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 3 | Version 4 |
---|---|
Four Guantanamo inmates sent home to Afghanistan | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Four Afghan prisoners in Guantanamo Bay have been sent back to their home country, the Pentagon says. | |
Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Zahir were repatriated after a review of their cases. | |
Eight Afghans are believed to be among the 132 detainees remaining at the US prison in Cuba. | Eight Afghans are believed to be among the 132 detainees remaining at the US prison in Cuba. |
President Barack Obama has pledged to close the facility, opened in 2002 to hold "enemy combatants" in what the US termed its war on terror. | President Barack Obama has pledged to close the facility, opened in 2002 to hold "enemy combatants" in what the US termed its war on terror. |
'Nowhere to go' | 'Nowhere to go' |
"As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force," a Pentagon statement said on Saturday. | "As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force," a Pentagon statement said on Saturday. |
The four Afghans - who had been held at Guantanamo Bay for more than 10 years - were flown to Afghanistan's capital Kabul aboard a US military plane and handed over to the local authorities. | |
The Pentagon provided no further details. | The Pentagon provided no further details. |
Afghanistan's High Peace Council - a body set up by the government to deal with insurgents - said all four would be reunited with their families in the "near future", according to the Associated Press news agency. | Afghanistan's High Peace Council - a body set up by the government to deal with insurgents - said all four would be reunited with their families in the "near future", according to the Associated Press news agency. |
US lawyers for the former detainees had always argued that their clients were innocent. | |
Wells Dixon, who worked on the case of Shawali Khan for a number of years, told BBC World TV: "They decided unanimously that he posed no threat to anyone. | |
"I am frankly surprised that he wasn't released many years ago." | |
Mr Dixon added that he expected to see more transfers from Guantanamo Bay in the near future. | |
President Obama seeks to eventually shut the facility. | |
Earlier this month, six prisoners were flown to Uruguay, which said they would enjoy complete freedom in the South American nation. | Earlier this month, six prisoners were flown to Uruguay, which said they would enjoy complete freedom in the South American nation. |
About half of the remaining inmates at Guantanamo Bay have been cleared for transfer but have nowhere to go because their countries of origin are unstable or unsafe. | |
President Obama's efforts to shut the facility have also been stalled in part due to a reluctance by Congress, the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan reports from Washington reports. | |
The facility in Cuba was opened a year after the 9/11 attacks on the US. |