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US releases Guantanamo Bay detainees as government works to close facility

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The Department of Defense has released three detainees from Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. military prison in Cuba, after they spent several years in confinement. One is headed to Kenya while the other two will serve more time in a Malaysian prison for their roles in suspected terrorist attacks.

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The two played a part in deadly bombings in Bali back in the early 2000s. The Malaysian detainees worked for the leader of an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

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This week, the Pentagon announced Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep pled guilty to conspiracy, intent to cause serious bodily injury and other charges in January 2024.

Those agreements include testimonies against Encep Nurjaman. U.S. prosecutors said Nurjaman ran the Southeast Asian terrorist organization behind the Bali bombings in 2002. The attack killed 202 people at two tourist spots, including 88 Australians and seven Americans.

U.S. officials said the two Malaysian men have been held at the Naval base in Cuba since 2006. Prosecutors approved the transfer to their home country.

“The Convening Authority approved sentences of confinement for approximately five years for each and recommended that both men be repatriated or transferred to a third-party sovereign nation to serve the remainder of the approved sentence,” a press release from the Department of Defense said.

The Pentagon Review Board also released another man back to Kenya. He was accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda’s eastern African branch. Although he was never charged, he was held at the detention facility for 17 years.

A total of 27 Guantanamo detainees remain imprisoned, and more than a dozen are eligible for transfer. Only two have been convicted and sentenced for crimes by the United States.

Under former President Barack Obama’s administration, the U.S. worked to reduce the population so the facility could eventually close. During his presidency, Guantanamo’s prison population went from 800 to 91.

Guantanamo Bay was originally established by President George W. Bush following the terror attacks of 9/11.

While in office, President Joe Biden announced plans to close the facility before leaving. But with those cleared for release still waiting for a country to take them in, the chances that the prison closes before Jan. 20 are dwindling.

Among those still being held in Guantánamo Bay are suspects accused of planning and carrying out the attacks on 9/11. That includes detainees whose evidence against them was obtained through torture while in the custody of the CIA.

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[Ryan Robertson] 

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS SENDING THREE GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEES BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. 

ONE IS HEADED TO KENYA WHILE THE OTHER TWO WILL SERVE MORE TIME IN A MALAYSIAN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO THEIR ROLES IN SUSPECTED TERRORIST ATTACKS. 

THE TWO PLAYED A PART IN DEADLY BOMBINGS IN BALI BACK IN THE EARLY 2000S…THE MALAYSIAN DETAINEES WORKED FOR THE LEADER OF AN AL-QAEDA AFFILIATE. 

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON ANNOUNCED THE TWO MEN PLED GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY, INTENT TO CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY INJURY AND OTHER CHARGES IN JANUARY. 

THOSE AGREEMENTS INCLUDE TESTIMONIES  **AGAINST ENCEP NURJAMAN. U-S PROSECUTORS SAY NURJAMAN RAN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BEHIND THE BALI BOMBINGS IN 2002. HE REMAINS IN CUSTODY. 

THE BALI TERRORIST ATTACKS KILLED 202 PEOPLE AT TWO TOURIST SPOTS–INCLUDING  88 AUSTRALIANS AND SEVEN AMERICANS. 

U-S OFFICIALS SAY THE TWO MALAYSIAN  MEN WERE HELD AT THE NAVAL BASE IN CUBA SINCE 2006…PROSECUTORS APPROVED THE TRANSFER TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY WHERE THEY WILL SERVE FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.. 

ANOTHER MAN WAS ALSO RELEASED BY THE PENTAGON REVIEW BOARD BACK TO KENYA… AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF BELONGING TO AL-QAIDA’S EAST AFRICAN BRANCH. HE WAS DETAINED IN 2007 AND HELD AT THE DETENTION FACILITY FOR 17 YEARS.  ALTHOUGH HE WAS NEVER CHARGED.

27 GUANTANAMO DETAINEES REMAIN IMPRISIONED…WHERE MORE THAN A DOZEN ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSFER. **ONLY TWO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO CRIMES BY THE U-S. 

UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION…THE GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING TOWARDS REDUCING THE POPULATION SO IT COULD  EVENTUALLY CLOSE THE FACILITY. DURING THAT TIME, GUANTANAMO’S PRISON POPULATION WENT FROM  800 TO JUST OVER 90. 

GUANTANAMO WAS ESTABLISHED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH FOLLOWING THE TERROR ATTACKS OF 9/11…

PRESIDENT BIDEN ALSO ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CLOSE THE FACILITY BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE…BUT WITH THOSE CLEARED FOR RELEASE STILL WAITING FOR A COUNTRY TO TAKE THEM IN…THE CHANCES ARE DWINDLING THE PRISON CLOSES BEFORE JANUARY 20TH. 

AMONG THOSE STILL BEING HELD IN GUANTANAMO BAY ARE SUSPECTS ACCUSED OF PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT THE ATTACKS ON 9/11.

AS WELL AS DETAINEES WHOSE EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM WAS OBTAINED THROUGHTORTURE WHILE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE C-I-A. 

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON