United States President, Barack Obama is still making efforts to close the Guantanamo bay prison before he leaves office, as the United States says it has sent 15 detainees to the United Arab Emirates.
This is the largest single transfer during President Obama’s administration.
According to the pentagon, the transfer of 12 Yemeni nationals and three Afghans brings the total number of prisoners down to 61 at the US facility in Cuba.
Most of the inmates there have been held without charge or trial for more than a decade.
Obama revealed his plans to close the prison in February but many Republican lawmakers as well as some fellow Democrats have opposed his decision.
“In its race to close Gitmo, the Obama administration is doubling down on policies that put American lives at risk,” Republican Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.
“Once again, hardened terrorists are being released to foreign countries where they will be a threat,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Amnesty International’s U.S. Director for Security and Human Rights, Naureen Shah, said keeping Guantanamo open gave cover to foreign governments to ignore human rights.
“I think we are at an extremely dangerous point where there is a significant possibility this is going to remain open as a permanent offshore prison to hold people, practically until they die,” Shah told Reuters.
“It weakens the U.S. government’s hand in arguing against torture and indefinite detention”.
Former US President, George Bush opened it to accommodate foreign terror suspects after the September 11 attacks in 2001 on the US.
