It looks like some cells at Guantánamo Bay are about to become vacant. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has already notified Congress that six lower-level detainees at the U.S.’s hotly debated detention center will soon be transferred to Uruguay. The transfer is expected to take place as early as next month.
According to The New York Times, all six detainees had been approved for transfer as many as four years ago. The transfer was originally expected to happen this past March, though blowback from the release of five Taliban detainees has delayed the move. Of the men set to be transferred, four of them are Syrian, one is Palestinian and one is Tunisian.
The Obama Administration notified Congress of the transfer on July 9. The transfer is expected to take place thirty days after the date of Congress’s notification. The militants just recently released without approval were done so because any delay was argued could risk Sgt. Bergdahl’s life. Before the incident, the Senate Armed Services Committee had reached a deal that would result in the eventual close of Guantánamo Bay. Now the Republican-led House has voted to halt transfers of any detainees, regardless of the reason.
Of the 149 detainees currently located at Guantánamo, 72 of them are recommended for transfer. Lawyers representing the six detainees set to transfer have urged the administration to make the move happen as quickly as possible. They believe that there is a narrow window of opportunity for their clients to relocate before U.S. politics throw an even greater wrench into the works. One lawyer was quoted, as reported by The New York Times, “These men should not be used as scapegoats in the current bout of U.S. partisan politics.”
Meanwhile Lt. Col. Myles Caggins III, a Pentagon spokesman, said, “Although we will not discuss certain aspects of our communications with Congress, we continue to move forward in transferring Guantánamo detainees and will continue to comply with the law in notifying Congress 30 days in advance of any transfer.”
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