On Monday, the Pentagon stated that it had transferred two detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the hands of Saudi Arabia officials. This move lowered the number of inmates being held at the facility to 160.
The Pentagon also identified the transferred prisoners in the statement. Saad Muhammad Husayn Qahtani and Hamood Abdulla Hamood, both of which were recommended for transfer in a 2009 review of their cases have been moved by a U.S. interagency task force as reported by The Daily Star.
The Defense Department's envoy for closing the prison at Guantanamo, Paul Lewis, thanked the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for accepting the detainees and supporting efforts to close the prison.
"The United States coordinated with the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure these transfers took place with appropriate security assurances and in a way that is consistent with our humane treatment policy," Lewis said in the statement.