WASHINGTON
The U.S. announced Sunday the transfer of six individuals from the Guantanamo Bay military facility in Cuba to Uruguay – the first such transfer of prisoners to South America.
The Pentagon identified the six men as Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussain Shaabaan, Omar Mahmoud Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Tahanmatan, and Jihad Diyab.
Four of the individuals are Syrian, while one is Palestinian and another is Tunisian. All six had been held for over 12 years, according to the Associated Press.
A task force comprised of six government agencies – the Defense Department, Homeland Security, the Justice and State Departments, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence - unanimously approved the transfer.
The Obama administration has stepped up efforts to transfer remaining detainees at the facility as the president seeks to close the controversial site. The U.S. has now transferred 19 individuals from the facility this year alone.
According to the Pentagon, 136 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
Obama pledged to close the facility upon taking office in 2008, but has run up against a confrontational Congress that has opposed sending detainees to the U.S., including for trial, and has placed restrictions on transferring them to other countries.
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