An Algerian man has been released from Guantánamo Bay and sent back home after spending nearly 20 years at the detention center, the Pentagon announced Sunday.
Why it matters: The repatriation of Sufyian Barhoumi, 48, was approved during the Obama administration, when a review board determined in 2016 that he was "was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat" to U.S. national security, per a Defense Department statement.
- The release of Guantánamo prisoners largely stalled during the Trump administration, and Barhoumi's case was among those affected.
- It's the second transfer from Guantánamo this year and the third since President Biden came to office.
The big picture: Barhoumi was accused of participating in a bomb plot against the U.S. after being captured in Pakistan with a senior al-Qaeda member in 2002, per the BBC.
- The case in which it was alleged he was a bomb-making instructor was abandoned after a civilian court ruled that the Pentagon didn't have the "authority to charge the civilian offense of 'providing material support to terrorism' as a war crime," the New York Times notes.
What they're saying: "The United States appreciates the willingness of Algeria, and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility," the Defense Department said in its statement.
By the numbers: 37 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Defense Department's statement.
- "18 are eligible for transfer; 7 are eligible for a Periodic Review Board; 10 are involved in the military commissions process; and two detainees have been convicted in military commissions," the statement said.
