DoD Releases 14 Saudi Detainees

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – Fourteen Saudi nationals have been released from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Defense Department announced yesterday.

The former detainees were sent to Saudi Arabia. One was found not to be an enemy combatant by the Combatant Status Review Tribunal. The other 13 were approved for transfer home following an Administrative Review Board decision, officials said.

About 120 Guantanamo detainees' cases are being reviewed for possible transfer or release as part of ongoing negotiations between the United States and other countries.

The United States does not want to hold detainees any longer than is necessary and expects to transfer or release more in the future, officials said.

Guantanamo Bay and other officials are examining detainee-related information and evidence - both unclassified and classified - in order to make decisions toward that end.

Counting this transfer, about 310 detainees have been released from Guantanamo to other governments, to include Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.

About 450 detainees remain secured at Guantanamo.

(Compiled from a DoD news release.)