WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said Saturday it had transferred five detainees from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Afghanistan.
A written statement did not say why the detainees were released and did not disclose their identity or home country.
In earlier releases, the military has said detainees were freed because they no longer were considered enemy combatants. The Pentagon said the latest releases came after "multiple review processes" at Guantanamo.
In all, 315 detainees have been sent from Guantanamo to other governments, including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden. Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda and Yemen.
About 445 detainees remain at Guantanamo, including 115 considered eligible for transfer or release. Such decisions are based on talks between the United States and other nations.
The U.S. began using the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in eastern Cuba in January 2002 to hold people suspected of links to Al Qaeda or the Taliban. Defense officials said they expect the transfer or releases to continue.
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