Obama Releases Nine Yemenis From Guantánamo To Saudi Arabia
All nine men sent to Saudi Arabia Saturday were Yemeni citizens with family now living in the Saudi kingdom. From left, Tariq Ba Odah, 38, born in Yemen; Ahmed Hikmi, 44, born in Yemen; Mansour Muhammed Ali Qatta, 34, born in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Middle row, Abdul Rahman Nasir, 36, born in Yemen; Ali al Raimi, 33, born in Yemen, not shown; Mohammed al Hamiri, 34, born in Yemen. Bottom from left, Ahmed Kuman, 36, born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; not shown: Abdul Rahman al Qyati, 40, born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Mashur al Sabri, 38, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia on Saturday took in nine Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo, a breakthrough deal with the at-times stubborn oil kingdom that left 80 captives at the downsizing U.S. military detention center in Cuba.
Among those the U.S. Air Force delivered to Saudi was 5-foot-4½ -inch hunger striker Tariq Ba Odah, 38, who gained prominence by asking a federal judge to order his release after he shriveled to 74 pounds despite daily U.S. Navy medical tube feedings.
A view an unoccupied cell during a media tour of an unoccupied cellblock at Camp 6, at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016 in this photo approved for release by the U.S. military.
Cleared for years, Ba Odah, like the others released, could not go back to Yemen because of a White House policy that forbids repatriations to the poor, violent nation south of Saudi on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
But in a turnabout, the Saudi government agreed to take non-citizens from Guantánamo to its rehabilitation program set up to help Saudi jihadists transition back into society. All nine men have relatives living there, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the deal. In fact, four were born in Saudi to Yemeni parents.
The nine prisoners released this weekend got to Guantánamo in 2002. Several were cleared for release during the George W. Bush presidency. Not one was ever charged with a crime.
The transfer comes a week ahead of President Barack Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council countries. With Saturday’s transfer, three GCC countries have taken in 34 Yemenis from Guantánamo for resettlement, answering an appeal from Obama, according to two U.S. government officials, during May’s GCC summit at Camp David. Twenty went to Oman and five to the United Arab Emirates.
Wild Thing’s comment.………….
POS Obama.. MUSLIM Obama and his terrorists buddies …………his favorite thing to do to help terrorists get out of GITMO.