The US Department of Defense on Aug. 15 announced the transfer  of 15 Guantánamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates. Twelve of the detainees were from Yemen, and the other three were from Afghanistan. Six of the detainees had been approved for release since 2009, and the others were cleared for release more recently. Thirteen of the detainees had never faced any charges, and two of the Afghan detainees had their military commission charges drops. This marks the largest single detainee transfer so far, as the Obama administration works toward its goal of shuttering the detention center. After these transfers, there are 61 detainees remaining at Guantánamo.

A US Senator last week released a Pentagon report detailing the profiles of those currently detained in and recently released from the Guantánamo detention center. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) concluded that closing the facility would not be in the best interests of the US and would pose a safety risk.

From Jurist, Aug. 16. Used with permission.