U.S. Releases 15 More From Guantanamo
The United States has released 15 more prisoners from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sending them to Afghanistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Sudan, Iraq, Jordan and Yemen, the Pentagon said Friday.
A defense official said the prisoners, who were not identified beyond their nationalities, were flown out of Guantanamo in the last few days.
It was the latest of several releases from the military prison, set up after President Bush declared a global war on terrorism. About 595 people are still detained there. Only two of those still held have been charged with crimes.
Most of those sent home have been freed, although some are being detained further by their countries for possible prosecution.
The Pentagon said this week’s release brought to 134 the number of detainees released from Guantanamo since the detention facilities opened in January 2002. Twelve others have been transferred for continued detention in their home countries.
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