Ayotte Statement on Transfer of Guantanamo Detainees to Oman

Statement

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today expressed deep concern regarding the Obama administration's transfer of 10 Guantanamo detainees this week to Oman.

"Following the Obama administration's confirmation that it has transferred ten dangerous Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo to Oman, there are serious questions that the administration should answer publicly about the conditions surrounding this transfer - particularly in light of their proximity to Yemen. The administration should tell Americans how it will ensure these detainees are not able to travel to Yemen to join terrorist activities there.

"I am particularly concerned that the Omani government has accepted the detainees for what they are calling a "temporary stay', which raises serious questions about whether they will even be detained in Oman, for how long, and under what conditions. The administration should be forthright with the American people regarding these concerns, and also about the detainees' terrorist activities, associations, and their actions at Gitmo. It is also interesting to note that the administration last week approved a foreign military sale to Oman worth an estimated $51 million. The administration should explain whether there is a connection between that decision and Oman's willingness to accept the Gitmo detainees."

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