The United States transported five Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo on Wednesday. Four of the men were sent to Oman, while the fifth was sent to Estonia.
The five men were cleared for release five years ago but could not be sent back to Yemen because of the fear that they would join Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks in Paris this month.
Al Khadr Abdallah Muhammad al-Yafi, Fadhel Hussein Saleh Hentif, Abd Al-Rahman Abdullah Au Shabati and Mohammed Ahmed Salam, each held in Guantanamo for almost 13 years, were transferred to Oman. Akmed Abdul Qadei, captured by Pakistani authorities in 2002 when he was 17, was transferred to Estonia.
Oman, despite its proximity to Yemen, is considered stable and has so far avoided the emergence of violence linked to militant Islamic fundamentalism that plagues its neighbors. Separated from Yemen by a large desert, Oman has been a U.S. ally for years. U.S. officials said the released detainees will have an easier time integrating into Omani society than a European one.
The men’s release has been hotly disputed in Congress as several Republican senators remain opposed to the sudden influx of releases from Guantanamo. Thirty-three prisoners have been transferred in the past year alone. Several of the senators, including John McCain, proposed a moratorium on Obama’s ability to release prisoners from Guantanamo for the remainder of his term.
Following the men’s release this week, the number of prisoners in Guantanamo is down to 122, a tremendous decrease from the 680 prisoners the complex held a decade ago. Seventy-six of the 122 current detainees are Yemeni.
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