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Pentagon Releases Unclassified Information on More than 100 Guantanamo Detainees | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The front gate of Camp Delta is shown at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba September 4, 2007. REUTERS/Joe Skipper


Washington – The Pentagon released an unclassified report detailing the suspected militant background of more than one hundred detainees currently at, or recently released from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

The report, which is expected to incite more debate over shutting the prison down, is the first to contain unclassified information on more than 100 detainees until November 2015. Since then, 24 detainees have been transferred from the prison in Cuba.

Among those whose names were revealed in the report is Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, who was accused of orchestrating the attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3000 people.

Another detainee is Mohammed Maneh Ahmed Al-Qahtani, who was banned from entering the United States in August 2001 and is suspected to be the twentieth terrorist in the September 11 attacks.

The Pentagon submitted the unclassified report to Republican Senator Kelly Ayote, who had been pushing President Barack Obama’s administration for years to be more transparent about Guantanamo detainees.

“The Obama administration promised transparency, but this new report shows why they’ve been so reluctant to uphold that promise when it comes to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay,” said Ayotte, who is running for re-election to her New Hampshire seat this year.

“The more Americans understand about the terrorist activities and affiliations of these detainees, the more they will oppose the administration’s terribly misguided plans to release them,” she added.

Obama has promised since 2009 to close the Guantanamo prison, but his efforts were met by strong opposition from Republican lawmakers.

The report provides short synopses about each of the 107 detainees at Guantanamo as of November last year.

Of the 76 detainees who currently remain in Guantanamo, 34 have been cleared for transfer to other countries, where they would be released according to certain conditions.

Ten of the detainees face criminal trial, including the “9/11 Five” who are accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.