US frees 15 people held at military prison for terror suspects

US frees 15 people held at military prison for terror suspects

Friday, April 2, 2004




(04-02) 07:29 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

The Pentagon said Friday it released 15 people held as terrorism suspects at a U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, reducing the number confined there to 595.

The people who were transferred to their home countries were from Afghanistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Sudan, Iraq, Jordan and Yemen. The Pentagon did not provide other details about the people or their release.

"The decision to transfer or release a detainee is based on many factors, including whether the detainee is of further intelligence value to the United States and whether he is believed to pose a threat to the United States," a brief Pentagon statement said.

Previously, 119 detainees were transferred for release and 12 others were transferred for continued detention (four to the Saudi Arabian government, one to the Spanish government and seven to the Russian government).
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/04/02/national1029EST0527.DTL