The Biden administration has facilitated the release of 11 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention center, transferring them to Oman. Among these individuals were two former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, Sahayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi and Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, raising eyebrows globally.
The detainees, all Yemeni nationals, had been held at the controversial Cuban facility for over two decades without formal charges. Their detention followed the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, during which the U.S. launched extensive operations to combat al-Qaeda.
The other released detainees were identified as Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj, and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah.
In a statement, the U.S. Defense Department expressed gratitude to Oman for its cooperation and support in reducing the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The department emphasized that the prisoners had undergone comprehensive interagency evaluations conducted by career professionals, who unanimously agreed on their eligibility for release.
The decision to transfer these individuals to Oman rather than Yemen stemmed from safety concerns. Yemen continues to grapple with a violent civil war involving the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, making the return of detainees to their home country unfeasible. The relocation to Oman reflects ongoing efforts to ensure detainees’ security while working toward the eventual closure of the Guantanamo Bay facility, a goal long sought by successive U.S. administrations.
The release highlights the Biden administration’s continued push to address the legal and ethical complexities surrounding Guantanamo Bay, reigniting debates over the future of the detention center and its impact on global counterterrorism efforts.
