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Obama Administration Releases 10 Guantanamo Detainees

Alexa Santry Contributor
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The Obama administration announced Thursday it has released 10 prisoners from U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay Thursday.

The Yemeni detainees have arrived in Oman, where they will be held until their return to Yemen, Reuters reports.

A military official told Fox News the detainees were “the ‘hardcore’ type,” and that many of those released were “medium- or high-risk prisoners.”

“All have ties to Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups,” the official said.

President Barack Obama vowed to continue trying to shut down Gitmo in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, saying it “serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.”

A report from the Director of National Intelligence found last year that “nearly 1 in 3 released detainees are known or suspected to have rejoined the fight.”

During the 2008 campaign, Obama promised to close the Guantanamo detention center.

The detainee transfer report released by the Department of State notes the number of prisoners at Gitmo has fallen to 93, the lowest it has been since Obama began his presidency. Now that the center holds fewer than 100 prisoners, Obama’s State of the Union argument that maintenance of the prison is “too expensive” grows in strength.

The Defense Department thanked Oman for its “humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.”