Two Guantanamo detainees repatriated to Saudi Arabia

Two Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been transferred to Saudi Arabia as part of a renewed effort to close the controversial offshore U.S. prison.

U.S. officials say the two Saudis have been transferred to the custody of their own government after a security review. The men are 35-year-old Saad Muhammad Husayn Qahtani and 48-year-old Hamood Abdulla Hamood.

Neither man had been charged with a crime. U.S. records show both were suspected members of Al-Qaeda and were considered to be at high risk of rejoining the terror group if released. Dozens of prisoners have been transferred to Saudi Arabia and later released after going through a rehabilitation program.

The Pentagon said Monday the transfer brings the Guantanamo population to 160 prisoners. Two Algerians were released earlier in August and two more in December. Additional releases are expected.

"The U.S. has made real progress in responsibly transferring Guantanamo detainees despite the burdensome legislative restrictions that have impeded our efforts," said a statement from Paul Lewis, the Defense Department's special envoy for Guantanamo's closure.

He said he and his counterpart from the State Department are "committed" to transferring additional detainees, "to the maximum extent possible as we work to reduce the detainee population and ultimately close the facility."

Though restrictions on inmate transfers from Guantanamo are under debate in Congress, President Barack Obama is trying to accelerate repatriation efforts aimed at closing the prison, nearly 12 years after the facility was opened, and nearly four years after Obama signed an executive order to close the prison.

Before these latest transfers, there were 82 inmates, including 56 Yemenis, at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release.

There are now nine Saudi citizens left at the base.

And Sudan’s news agency reported that the last two Sudanese nationals will be transferred back to Sudan on Wednesday.

Guantanamo has been widely criticized by human rights groups for the conditions under which prisoners are housed, and the lengthy stays many endure without being charged for crimes.

Al Jazeera and wire services