Twenty-six individuals remain incarcerated at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, despite a 2009 US pledge to close it.
The Pentagon announced the repatriation of Ridah Bin Saleh al Yazidi, a Tunisian detainee held at Guantanamo Bay since its January 11, 2002, opening. Held for 24 years without formal charges, he was among the initial detainees brought to the US naval base in Cuba.
The Department of Defense stated that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed Congress in January of his support for al Yazidi’s release. A Monday statement declared the completion of “requirements for responsible transfer” in consultation with Tunisia.
According to the Pentagon, al Yazidi’s transfer to Tunisia was a covert operation. Details regarding security arrangements for the 59-year-old’s return remain undisclosed.
Captured in Pakistan near the Afghan border shortly after the September 11th attacks, al Yazidi was among a group of approximately 30 men, some believed to be Osama bin Laden’s bodyguards.
A leaked 2007 assessment labeled al Yazidi a potentially dangerous detainee displaying hostility. However, a 2010 task force under President Obama cleared him for transfer, citing inability to prosecute for war crimes.
Ian Moss, a former State Department official involved in detainee transfers, told the New York Times that Tunisian delays hindered al Yazidi’s earlier release.
Moss explained that Tunisia was initially considered unsafe or unwilling to accept him, while al Yazidi refused to consider transfers to other countries.
Al Yazidi’s release reflects the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce Guantanamo’s population; this is the fourth detainee transfer in two weeks.
Following al Yazidi’s departure, 26 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, down from 40 when Biden assumed office. Fourteen are approved for transfer, while nine face pretrial proceedings or war crimes convictions. This suggests the Biden administration will also likely fail to meet Obama’s 2009 goal of closing the prison.