Five detainees were transferred out of the facility at Guantanamo Bay on Thursday evening, according to a statement from the Department of Defense. Three men were sent to the country of Georgia, while two were destined for Slovakia.
The release drops the number of those still housed at the facility — which President Obama vowed to close when he first took office in 2008 — to 143.
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The prisoners were released after a task force “conducted a comprehensive review … As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were approved for transfer by consensus of the six departments and agencies comprising the task force,” according to the statement. The Guantanamo Review Task Force was created by presidential executive order in January of 2009.
Both Slovakia and Georgia worked with the U.S. to ensure that “these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures,” the Department of Defense said.
Joy Y. Wang