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White House considers “all avenues available” to transfer prisoners and close Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba, press secretary said Jen psakiJen PsakiBiden seeks to prove her skeptics wrong. told reporters on Monday.
“Our goal is to shut down Guantanamo Bay,” Psaki said at a briefing. “I don’t have a schedule for you. As you know, there is a process, there are different stages of the process, but that remains our goal and we are looking at all the avenues available to responsibly transfer detainees and of course to close Guantanamo Bay.
His comments came the same day the Biden administration announced its first transfer of an inmate from the military prison, reducing the number of remaining prisoners to 39.
US officials announced Monday that Abdul Latif Nasir, 56, would be repatriated to Morocco. The Periodic Review Board ruled in 2016 that Nasir’s detention was no longer necessary to protect U.S. national security. Psaki noted on Monday that Nasir had started to move forward with the process under the Obama administration, but his case had been put on hold under the former President TrumpDonald Trump Trollers Confronts LeBron James Over New Space Jam Movie Graham Says He ‘Would Leave Town’ To Stop 0.5T Spending Plan Controversy Equals Money For Greene, Gaetz MORE, who was determined to keep the prison open.
Of the remaining 39 detainees, 10 are eligible for transfer, 17 are eligible for a periodic review board, 10 are involved in the military commission process and two have been sentenced, Psaki noted.
A senior official told reporters earlier on Monday that the Biden administration was “very focused on finding a transfer” for those who are eligible for the transfer, without providing further details on the actions taken by those responsible or the timeline. .
The Biden administration launched a review of Gitmo in February soon after President BidenJoe BidenGraham says he would ‘leave town’ to stop .5T spending plan Afghan Ambassador, diplomats withdrawn from Islamabad Biden seeks to prove his skeptics wrong MORE took office with the intention of closing the prison when Biden leaves office.
The prison was opened during President George W. Bush’s administration after the September 11, 2001 attacks and was used to detain foreign terrorism suspects. The prison held around 800 prisoners at the height of the prison population. Former President Obama sought to close the prison during his two terms, but encountered opposition from Republicans and was barred from doing so by Congress.
Psaki noted Monday that Biden cannot order the prison to be closed on his own and that this requires notifications and consultations with Congress. She twice refused to set a specific timetable.
“I don’t have a new deadline to present to you here today,” Psaki said.
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