[IsraelTimes] Five prisoners were cleared by the previous administration but release procedure wasn't completed in time; White House has not made clear its plans for Cuban detention facility.The Trump administration has not released any prisoners and not added any to the list of cleared men who can go home, or to a third country, for resettlement. There were 197 transferred out under his predecessor and more than 500 under US President George W. Bush.
Obama sought to close the detention center but was thwarted by Congress because of objections over transferring any of the remaining detainees to facilities in the US.
The administration has not announced its policy toward the detention center. But Trump said on Twitter before he took office that there should be no further releases from "Gitmo," as it’s often called. "These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield," he said.
The possibility that former Guantanamo prisoners would resume hostile activities has long been a concern that has played into the debate over releases. The office of the Director of National Intelligence said this summer in its most recent report on the subject that about 17 percent of the 728 detainees who have been released are "confirmed" and 12% are "suspected" of re-engaging in such activities.
The 41 remaining prisoners include the five approved for transfer and 10 who have been charged by military commission. That leaves 26 in indefinite confinement who could potentially be reviewed and added to the cleared list. Several may still be prosecuted and are unlikely to be set free, but lawyers for the rest are considering filing new legal challenges, arguing that a policy of no releases would mean their confinement can no longer legally be justified as a temporary wartime measure.
US torture continues at Guantanamo Bay, warns UN expert
| It’s been a while since we’ve been accused of viciousness. But there’s a Republican in the White House again, so the thing was guaranteed. |