US to transfer two Guantánamo prisoners to Algeria

The Obama administration announced Friday it planned to transfer two detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Algeria, according to The Associated Press, the first movement of prisoners since President Barack Obama announced a renewed push to close the military-run detention center in Cuba.

Obama made a 2008 campaign promise to close the prison, but that goal has proved to be elusive over the years.

"We are taking this step in consultation with the Congress, and in a responsible manner that protects our national security," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale said that under long-standing policy, the names of the two detainees will not be released until after the transfer. He also would not say what security assurances they had from the Algerian government as part of the arrangement.

"We will not discuss the sensitive, diplomatic arrangements associated with the transfer," Breasseale said.

The House Armed Services Committee confirmed via a spokesman it had received the certification necessary to transfer the prisoners, which requires the defense secretary to guarantee that if a detainee is transferred to another country they will not engage in terrorist activities.

An administration official told the AP the detainees had been chosen because Algeria is a close U.S. ally that has a successful track record of managing detainnees – of the 12 detainees previously released, none have returned to terrorist activities, unlike some returned to other countries.

The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity without authorization to publicly discuss the process, said it has been in the works since several months before Obama announced his intention this spring to push anew for closure.

According to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved the transfer based on the recommendation of an interagency team after a monthslong review.

"Secretary Hagel fully supports the president's goal of closing Guantanamo Bay and this upcoming transfer brings us closer towards reaching that goal," Little said in a statement.

The U.S. has transferred 242 prisoners out of Guantanamo since Obama took office. The U.S. had transferred more than 500 under President George W. Bush, according to Human Rights First. The last time a prisoner was transferred was in September 2012 when Omar Khadr was sent back to his native Canada in September 2012 to serve the remainder of his sentence for a war crimes conviction by a military tribunal.

"As president, I have tried to close Gitmo," Obama said in May 23 speech at the National Defense University. "I transferred 67 detainees to other countries before Congress imposed restrictions to effectively prevent us from either transferring detainees to other countries or imprisoning them here in the United States. These restrictions make no sense."

Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, was quick to criticize the move because of security concerns.

"Sending them to countries where al-Qaeda and its affiliates operate and continue to attack our interests is not a solution," Chambliss said in a statement. "With the recidivism rate now at 28 percent, no detainee should be transferred to any place unless we are absolutely confident he will be effectively monitored and cannot renew terrorist ties."

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has repeatedly resisted Obama’s numerous efforts to close the prison. The House voted 247-175 Tuesday to reject an amendment that would have allowed Obama to begin closing the facility.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press