The US Department of Defense [8] announced Dec. 16 that two Guantánamo Bay [9] detainees have been transferred to Saudi Arabia [10]. Saad Muhammad Husayn Qahtani [11] and Hamood Abdulla Hamood [12] had been held since 2002, but neither had been charged with a crime. The two men were recommended for transfer in 2009 after a review by the the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force. According to a statement:
The United States is grateful to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure these transfers took place with appropriate security and humane treatment assurances.
The transfer brings the total number of Guantanamo detainees down to 160, and more transfers are anticipated [13].
From Jurist [14], Dec. 16. Used with permission.
