two more GTMO transfers

* two more GTMO transfers

There are now 178 remaining detainees at GTMO. From the DoD press release:

The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of two detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Governments of Algeria and Cape Verde.

As directed by the President’s January 22, 2009 executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, the detainees were approved for transfer by unanimous consent among all the agencies involved in the task force. In accordance with Congressionally mandated reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer these individuals at least 15 days before their transfer.

Abdul Aziz Naji was repatriated to his native Algeria, and Abd-al-Nisr Mohammed Khantumani was resettled in Cape Verde. The United States is grateful to the governments of Algeria and Cape Verde for their willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the governments of Algeria and Cape Verde to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures.

…

Today, 178 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

By Robert M. Chesney

Robert M. Chesney is Charles I. Francis Professor in Law at UT-Austin School of Law. Chesney is a national security law specialist, with a particular interest in problems associated with terrorism. Professor Chesney recently served in the Justice Department in connection with the Detainee Policy Task Force created by Executive Order 13493. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security, a senior editor for the Journal of National Security Law & Policy, an associate member of the Intelligence Science Board, a non-resident senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the American Law Institute. Professor Chesney has published extensively on topics ranging from detention and prosecution in the counterterrorism context to the states secrets privilege. He served previously as chair of the Section on National Security Law of the Association of American Law Schools and as editor of the National Security Law Report (published by the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security). His upcoming projects include two books under contract with Oxford University Press, one concerning the evolution of detention law and policy and the other examining the judicial role in national security affairs.

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