- March 20, 2018
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Transfer of first Guantanamo Saudi Prisoner under Trump administration
Listen to this articleOn 19th March, the U.S military source informed Reuters that the United States is moving under the U.S President Donald Trump toward the first release of a prisoner from the detention center in Guantanamo Bay. It would allow sending back prisoners to Saudi Arabia. The announcement of transferring 43-years old Ahmed Muhammad Haza Al-Darbi was made in February when he found eligible to deport but he wasn’t deported due to some unmentioned reasons. He was allowed according to the terms of plea bargain agreement 2014 of Al-Darbi. The U.S. military said that they were waiting for assurances from the government of Saudi Arabia to move forward on his departure. The Pentagon suggested on Monday that process was back on track.
A spokeswoman of the U.S Navy, Commander Sarah Higgins said that the U.S Defense Department was reviewing information forwarded by Saudi Arabia about the transfer of Al-Darbi. It is important that the transfer of Al-Darbi would reduce the number of prisoners at the detention center in Cuba. The total number of prisoner will be 40 after the deportation of Al-Darbi. Point to be noted that the detention center in Guantanamo Bay was opened by the former U.S President George W. Bush in order to keep terrorist elements caught overseas following the attacks took place on 11th September 2001. The U.S officials didn’t add more prisoners after discovering trouble from Islamic State militants held by the U.S backed forces in Syria. The news comes just before the planned trip of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to Washington.
