[Vision2020] Detainee Release Announced

[Tom Hansen]

>From American Forces News Service -

-----------------------------------------------------------

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 1177-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2006
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Detainee Release Announced

The Department of Defense announced today that it released three detainees
from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Albania. One of the detainees is an Algerian
national, one is an Egyptian national, and one is an ethnic Uzbek who was
born in the former Soviet Union.

All three detainees were determined to be "No Longer Enemy Combatants"
(NLEC) through a Combatant Status Review Tribunal (CSRT), a review process
held at Guantanamo during 2004-2005 to determine classification status of
all detainees.

The United States has done the utmost to ensure that these three detainees
will be treated humanely upon release. Our key objective has been to
resettle these detainees in an environment that will permit them to rebuild
their lives. Albania will provide this opportunity.

With today's release, approximately 110 detainees remain at Guantanamo who
the U.S. government has determined eligible for transfer or release through
a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining
detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions
between the United States and other nations. The United States does not
desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary. The department
expects that there will continue to be other transfers and releases of
detainees.

There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees held at
Guantanamo. A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a
detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the
time, both classified and unclassified.

This release increases the number of detainees who have departed Guantanamo
this year to approximately 80. Since 2002, approximately 345 detainees have
departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Afghanistan,
Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain,
Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, and Yemen.

Approximately 430 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

For any questions pertaining to U.S. government discussions with Albania,
please refer to the State Department. For any questions pertaining to legal
issues involving the detainees, please refer to the Department of Justice.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.