Detainee Transfers Announced
Jan. 17, 2017

The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of 10 detainees: Ghaleb Nassar Al Bihani, Mustafa Abd al-Qawi Abd al-Aziz Al-Shamiri, Karim Bostam, Abdul Sahir, Musab Omar Ali Al-Mudwani, Hail Aziz Ahmed Al-Maythali, Salman Yahya Hassan Mohammad Rabei’i, Mohammed Al-Ansi, Muhammad Ahmad Said Haider, and Walid Said bin Said Zaid from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the government of Oman.

As directed by the president’s Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of those reviews, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, Haider and Zaid were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.

Periodic Review Boards consisting of representatives from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State; the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence determined that continued lawof war detention of 8 of the 10: Al Bihani, Al-Shamiri, Al-Ansi, Bostam, Sahir, Al-Mudwani, Al-Maythali, and Rabei’i, does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States. As a result of those reviews, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, Al Bihani, Al-Shamiri, Al-Ansi, Bostam, Sahir,

Al-Mudwani, Al-Maythali, and Rabei’i, were recommended for transfer by consensus of the six departments and agencies comprising the Periodic Review Board. The Periodic Review Board process was established by the president’s March 7, 2011 Executive Order 13567.

Name  / Date of Periodic Review Board final Determination

• Ghaleb Nassar Al Bihani   May 15, 2014
• Mustafa Abd al-Qawi Abd al-Aziz al-Shamiri   Jan. 12, 2016
• Karim Bostam   June 2, 2016
• Abdul Sahir   July 11, 2016
• Musab Omar Ali Al-Mudwani   July 28, 2016
• Hail Aziz Ahmed Al-Maythali   Aug. 1, 2016
• Salman Yahya Hassan Mohammad Rabei’i   Dec. 1, 2016
• Mohammed Al-Ansi   Dec. 9, 2016

The United States is grateful to the government of Oman for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the government of Oman to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.

Today, 45 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.