The Biden administration has announced the ‘resettlement’ of 11 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, some of which may have had direct ties to Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.
The detainees are being transferred to Oman, a move that highlights the ongoing debate over the future of the military prison.
“The United States appreciates the willingness of the Government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the DoD said, per the New York Post.
Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, who is believed to have been a member of al-Qaeda and served as a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, was among the 11 detainees released, reported the Post.
One detainee, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, was deemed eligible for resettlement through Executive Order 13492, which requires a case review of detainees at Guantanamo. The remaining 10 inmates were cleared for transfer after a “Periodic Review Board” (PRB).
According to a January 6, 2025 news release from the Department of Defense (DoD), the PRB process originated under a plan outlined by an Executive Order issued under former President Barack Obama, aimed at closing Guantanamo Bay and addressing the fates of those still detained there.
The 11 released men that were named, include: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah.
Since 2002, nearly 800 detainees have passed through the facility, many of which were held for years without charges or trials, according to the ACLU.
Critics argue that releasing anyone from Guantanamo currently raises national security risks, particularly in light of recent terror incidents such as the ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) expressed further concerns specifically about the timing of the release.
“This release unnecessarily jeopardizes our national security, and the American people deserve better from our nation’s leaders. I immediately call on President Biden to halt any plans to release the additional Guantanamo detainees during the final days of his administration,” Thune stated in a January 7, 2025 press release.
Congressman Michael McCaul (R- T.X.) also publicly slammed the recent release, saying, “President Biden’s transfer of 11 Gitmo prisoners is highly reckless, dangerously naive, and — in the wake of last week’s horrific New Orleans attack — indefensible. His administration should be devoting every available resource to rooting out terrorism; instead, it has exhibited a baffling pattern of leniency toward the world’s most hardened criminal terrorists.”
Yet, some human rights organizations have continued to praise Biden’s decision.
Amnesty International, in a recent statement, praised the release, saying, “We welcome the transfer of these 11 men to Oman by the Biden administration, as it was long overdue. The U.S. government now has an obligation to ensure that the government of Oman will respect and protect their human rights. ”
According to the DoD, three remaining detainees at Guantanamo are currently eligible for transfer, while others remain in the military commission process or have already been convicted.