US Frees Nine Prisoners From Guantanamo | Dayz Entertainment
 

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The US has released nine prisoners from Guantanamo - the latest step in Barack Obama's final push to close the jail.

The detainees, all Yemeni men, have been shipped to Saudi Arabia.

They include one inmate who had been on long-term hunger strike at the Cuban base.

The military has been forcefeeding Tariq Ba Odah since he began refusing food in 2007.

The 37-year-old has reportedly lost half his body weight and his lawyers have long argued he should be released on humanitarian and medical grounds.

It is the largest group released since Mr Obama rolled out his plan in February to shut the facility before he leaves office in January 2017.

"The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," the Pentagon said.

Some 80 prisoners remain at Guantanamo, most held without charge or trial for more than a decade.

Mr Obama has faced stiff opposition from many Republicans and some fellow Democrats over his mission.

The other prisoners released were identified as: Umar Abdullah Al-Hikimi, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Saleh Nasir, Ali Yahya Mahdi Al-Raimi, Muhammed Abdullah Muhammed Al-Hamiri, Ahmed Yaslam Said Kuman, Abd al Rahman Al-Qyati, Mansour Muhammed Ali Al-Qatta, and Mashur Abdullah Muqbil Ahmed Al-Sabri.

They were among so-called low-level inmates.

Mr Obama plans to move several dozen of the remaining inmates to maximum security prisons in the US.

Such transfers to the mainland are not legal - but the White House has not ruled out using executive action to move the detainees.

Guantanamo was opened by George W Bush to house terror suspects in 2001 and has held about 780 inmates over the years.

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