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U.S. releases 4 Afghans from Guantanamo

Richard Wolf
USA TODAY
The entrance to Camp 5 and Camp 6 at the U.S. military's Guantanamo Bay detention center is seen at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, on June 7, 2014.

WASHINGTON — Four more Afghans have been returned to their home country from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba as President Obama continues his effort to close the 13-year-old facility.

The repatriation brings to 132 the number of detainees remaining at the Department of Defense prison. Since it was opened in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks, it has housed 779 prisoners.

In its statement on the release, the Pentagon thanked the Afghan government "for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts" to close the facility.

"The United States coordinated with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures," it said.

Obama and Congress have tangled over the military prison since the first days of his presidency, when Guantanamo housed 242 prisoners. The president made closing the facility one of his earliest priorities, but lawmakers have blocked any detainees from coming to the U.S. mainland for trial or further detention.

On Friday, a day before the transfers were announced, Obama signed the annual Pentagon authorization bill but included a statement regarding his opposition to keeping Guantanamo open:

Earlier this month, the Department of Defense transferred the last remaining third-country nationals held in U.S. custody in Afghanistan, ending U.S. detention operations in Afghanistan. Yet halfway around the world, the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, remains open for the 13th consecutive year, costing the American people hundreds of millions of dollars each year and undermining America's standing in the world. As I have said many times, the continued operation of this detention facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists. Closing the detention facility is a national imperative.

The four prisoners transferred to Afghanistan were identified as Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Zahir.

The U.S. embassy in Kabul released a statement thanking the Afghan government "for helping to reintegrate these former detainees."

"We have full confidence in the Afghan government's ability to mitigate any threats these individuals may pose and to ensure that they are given humane treatment," the statement said.

"This transfer is a step toward President Obama's goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. It demonstrates Afghan sovereignty and U.S. trust in the strength of Afghan government institutions.The United States hopes that this transfer is a step forward in strengthening relations between the two countries and can provide an opportunity for greater confidence among Afghans to engage in political dialogue to end the violence in their country."

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