Two men, one Yemeni considered to be Osama Bin Laden's bodyguard and one Afghan commander who fought alongside al-Qaeda, are set to be transferred out of Guantanamo Bay for rehabilitation, according to documents released Wednesday.
The interagency Periodic Review Board approved the transfer of Sanad Yislam al-Kazimi and Assadullah Haroon Gul, bringing the number of detainees at Guantanamo down to 37.
Neither had ever been charged with a crime.
Al-Kazimi, 51, who was captured in Dubai in 2003, will resettle in Oman, neighboring his home nation of Yemen. Yemen is considered too unstable to rehabilitate detainees, while Oman already accepted 39 during the Obama administration. Martha Rayner, al-Kazimi's lawyer, said her client is in 'pretty good' health and 'looks forward to being transferred as quickly as possible.'
Al-Kazimi had sought to be transferred to an Arabic-speaking country where he could reunited with his wife and could 'someday see his four children and his grandchildren,' according to the New York Times.
It is not yet clear where Gul, 40, will be transferred. He was captured by Afghan forces in 2007 when he served as Islamist commander and fought alongside the Taliban and al-Qaeda against the US-backed forces.
The board decided he could be safely transferred, with security arrangements, due to a 'lack of a leadership role in extremist organizations and his lack of a clear ideological basis for his prior conduct.' It did not say where he should go.
Gul's lawyers had pursued his release through an unlawful detention petition, and last year the Afghan government agreed to support his repatriation, but that was before it fell to the Taliban.
One Yemeni considered to be the bodyguard of Osama Bin Laden, above, will be transferred to Oman
The Biden administration has signaled it aims to close the military prison in Cuba before leaving office, reviving an Obama-era promise
The Biden administration has signaled it aims to close the military prison in Cuba before leaving office, reviving an Obama-era
