U.S. preparing to send six prisoners from Guantanamo to Uruguay

The U.S. government on Wednesday notified Congress of his intention to transfer to Uruguay six prisoners from the prison at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Notification occurs after Washington and Montevideo closed a deal to send prisoners considered low profile and low risk, and comes almost four months after the Uruguayan President Jose Mujica announced his readiness to receive them on request of Government of Barack Obama.

A recent law requires that the Department of Defense must report 30 days prior to the Congress on new transfers of prisoners and clarify that there are assurances that the prisoners do not pose a national security risk. And this is what made Wednesday the Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, as initially reported the New York Times and other media later.

With the notification, Hagel seeks to return to the normal procedures after the controversy that erupted in late May among lawmakers that Congress was not informed on time shipping to Qatar of five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo in exchange for the release Sgt Bowe Bergdahl of the U.S., wearing almost five years in captivity in Afghanistan. The Obama Government justified the secrecy security reasons.

In fact, the release of Bergdahl has delayed the agreement for the transfer of the six prisoners to Uruguay, four of whom are Syrian, Palestinian and Tunisian remaining. Inmates could get to Uruguay in a few weeks, as it is unlikely that Congress will block the measure.

“America is grateful to Uruguay, our partner, its important humanitarian gesture and appreciated the generous assistance of the Uruguayan government as America continues its efforts to close Guantanamo,” a spokesman told the Times State Department. Sources of the Departments of State and Defense consulted by this newspaper declined to confirm the notification to Congress.

For now, the specifics of the transfer agreement of the six prisoners are unknown. In recent weeks it has emerged that, to criticism that generated the decision in his country, Montevideo was to condition the transfer of prisoners to the U.S. release a number of Cuban political prisoners, which Washington and anticipated that not happen.

It also emerged that the Uruguayan government rejected the U.S. request to file a mandatory basis to inmates in national territory for a period of two years. “When Uruguay can grant them safe passage are free citizens, will not have Guantánamo or conditions like free men are entitled to integrate into our society,” he said in late March Interior Minister of Uruguay, Eduardo Bonomi.

With the departure of these six prisoners – that will be the largest transfer since 2009 – the Cuban prison population will be reduced to a total of 143 inmates. Of these, 72 have been approved for transfer to be considered not dangerous. For now, the administration has moved to 89 prisoners out of Guantánamo, of which about 50 have been sent to third countries.

The closing of the Guantanamo prison was one of Obama ‘s campaign promises to end one of the darkest symbols of the fight against terrorism, but since coming to the White House in 2009 has failed to achieve congressional approval. After the attacks of September 11, the facility was established in 2002 by President George W. Bush to detain persons suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda and leave outside the legal protection that prevails in the U.S. federal courts.

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Posted by Nadeem Bajwa on Jul 18 2014. Filed under USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.