The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred 35 detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  This transfer included 29 to the control of Pakistan for continued detention and six to Pakistan for release. This transfer increases the number of detainees who have departed GTMO to 191.

            This transfer includes the one detainee approved for release by DoD and subsequently found to not be an enemy combatant by Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

            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 the detainee is believed to pose a threat to the United States if released.

There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees.  A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the time.  The circumstances in which detainees are apprehended can be ambiguous, and many of them are highly skilled in concealing the truth.

The process of evaluation and detention is not free of risk – at least five detainees have gone back to the fight.

            During the course of the war on terrorism, the department expects that there will be other transfers or releases of detainees. 

            Because of operational and security considerations, no further details can be provided.

            Previously, 129 detainees were transferred for release and 27 others were transferred to the control of other governments (five to Morocco, four to France, seven to Russia, four to Saudi Arabia, one to Spain, one to Sweden and five to Great Britain).  191 detainees have now departed Guantanamo.  As a result of today’s transfer, there are now approximately 550 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.