In a major policy shift from the Trump presidency, the Biden administration on Monday transferred a Guantanamo Bay detainee back to his home country for the first time, years after he was recommended for discharge. A review board determined that Nasser’s detention was no longer necessary to protect U.S. national security, the Pentagon said Monday. The possibility that former Guantanamo prisoners would resume hostile activities has long been a concern that has played into the debate over releases. AdvertisementBut the vast majority of those reengagements occurred with former prisoners who did not go through the security review that was set up under Obama. An unidentified military official appointed to represent him before the review board said he studied math, computer science and English at Guantanamo, creating a 2,000-word Arabic-English dictionary.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 19, 2021 12:45 UTC