Kuwait and U.S. Disagree Over Guantanamo Inmates

JANUARY 12, 2012.
Kuwait and U.S. Disagree Over Guantanamo Inmates
By EVAN PEREZ

The Kuwaiti government is intensifying efforts to seek the transfer of two Kuwaitis who remain at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a prospect that has grown dim as the facility turned 10 years old Wednesday amid continued political battles over its operation.

In recent months, Kuwaiti officials have pressed the U.S. to transfer Fawzi al-Odah and Fayiz al-Kandari to Kuwait, where they would continue to be detained at a U.S. military facility but in proximity to family members, said people familiar with the discussions.

Kuwait is a staunch U.S. ally, and the two Kuwaitis aren't considered among the highest-risk prisoners. Both circumstances would appear to make transfer easier under guidelines the Obama administration adopted in 2009.

But U.S. officials have cited security concerns about transfers to Kuwait. "The Kuwaiti track record in the past was not very good," said a senior U.S. official familiar with the case.

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