Sasha Pfeiffer

Who are these 11 people? All of them are men. All are from Yemen. All were captured after the 9-11 attacks. And all are former al-Qaeda, according to the Pentagon. All had also been held for more than two decades without charge or trial. Now, eventually they were approved for transfer after national security officials said they weren't dangerous enough to keep holding.

Who are these 11 people? All of them are men. All are from Yemen. All were captured after the 9-11 attacks. And all are former al-Qaeda, according to the Pentagon. All had also been held for more than two decades without charge or trial. Now, eventually they were approved for transfer after national security officials said they weren't dangerous enough to keep holding.

And they had been approved for transfer for at least two years, sometimes much longer, once since 2010. But they had stayed behind bars due to diplomatic and political challenges like resistance to releasing them. And the really difficult, slow process of finding countries to take them. The problem is they could not go back to their home country of Yemen because it's unstable. So the U.S.

And they had been approved for transfer for at least two years, sometimes much longer, once since 2010. But they had stayed behind bars due to diplomatic and political challenges like resistance to releasing them. And the really difficult, slow process of finding countries to take them. The problem is they could not go back to their home country of Yemen because it's unstable. So the U.S.

And they had been approved for transfer for at least two years, sometimes much longer, once since 2010. But they had stayed behind bars due to diplomatic and political challenges like resistance to releasing them. And the really difficult, slow process of finding countries to take them. The problem is they could not go back to their home country of Yemen because it's unstable. So the U.S.

had to negotiate with another country to take them. Finally, Oman agreed to do that. It says it will give them jobs, housing, other supports. Some of them will be monitored for security reasons and also face travel restrictions. And for Guantanamo, the end result is just 15 prisoners are held there now.

had to negotiate with another country to take them. Finally, Oman agreed to do that. It says it will give them jobs, housing, other supports. Some of them will be monitored for security reasons and also face travel restrictions. And for Guantanamo, the end result is just 15 prisoners are held there now.

had to negotiate with another country to take them. Finally, Oman agreed to do that. It says it will give them jobs, housing, other supports. Some of them will be monitored for security reasons and also face travel restrictions. And for Guantanamo, the end result is just 15 prisoners are held there now.

And it really has been a flurry. You know, in recent weeks, four other Guantanamo prisoners were released. We know of at least one more transfer in the works. This is partly Biden racing to fulfill his goal of closing Guantanamo. A less charitable view is that it would have taken more political courage to do this when he was not a lame duck.

And it really has been a flurry. You know, in recent weeks, four other Guantanamo prisoners were released. We know of at least one more transfer in the works. This is partly Biden racing to fulfill his goal of closing Guantanamo. A less charitable view is that it would have taken more political courage to do this when he was not a lame duck.

And it really has been a flurry. You know, in recent weeks, four other Guantanamo prisoners were released. We know of at least one more transfer in the works. This is partly Biden racing to fulfill his goal of closing Guantanamo. A less charitable view is that it would have taken more political courage to do this when he was not a lame duck.

But now that he's on his way out, it's easier to do hard and controversial things. I do want to note that yesterday's 11 prisoner transfer almost happened in October 2023, but it was called off after the October 7th Hamas attack because some members of Congress were worried about Mideast stability. So finally, in these final weeks, that plan got resurrected. It's also motivated by Trump returning.

But now that he's on his way out, it's easier to do hard and controversial things. I do want to note that yesterday's 11 prisoner transfer almost happened in October 2023, but it was called off after the October 7th Hamas attack because some members of Congress were worried about Mideast stability. So finally, in these final weeks, that plan got resurrected. It's also motivated by Trump returning.

But now that he's on his way out, it's easier to do hard and controversial things. I do want to note that yesterday's 11 prisoner transfer almost happened in October 2023, but it was called off after the October 7th Hamas attack because some members of Congress were worried about Mideast stability. So finally, in these final weeks, that plan got resurrected. It's also motivated by Trump returning.

Trump has said he wants to keep Guantanamo open. So the assumption is that once Trump is back in the White House, there may be no more Guantanamo transfers under him. And Michelle, at some level, it's also Biden acknowledging that Guantanamo has been a failed legal system. As you know, there's still been no 9-11 trial more than two decades after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.

Trump has said he wants to keep Guantanamo open. So the assumption is that once Trump is back in the White House, there may be no more Guantanamo transfers under him. And Michelle, at some level, it's also Biden acknowledging that Guantanamo has been a failed legal system. As you know, there's still been no 9-11 trial more than two decades after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.

Trump has said he wants to keep Guantanamo open. So the assumption is that once Trump is back in the White House, there may be no more Guantanamo transfers under him. And Michelle, at some level, it's also Biden acknowledging that Guantanamo has been a failed legal system. As you know, there's still been no 9-11 trial more than two decades after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.

There's worldwide criticism of Guantanamo as a human rights embarrassment because of the unlawful detention happening there. It's also really expensive, $15 million per year per prisoner. That is way more than a federal supermax. It's as Biden saying, it's time to shut the place down.

There's worldwide criticism of Guantanamo as a human rights embarrassment because of the unlawful detention happening there. It's also really expensive, $15 million per year per prisoner. That is way more than a federal supermax. It's as Biden saying, it's time to shut the place down.

There's worldwide criticism of Guantanamo as a human rights embarrassment because of the unlawful detention happening there. It's also really expensive, $15 million per year per prisoner. That is way more than a federal supermax. It's as Biden saying, it's time to shut the place down.