U.S. sends two Syrians from Guantanamo to Portugal

Carol Rosenberg | Miami Herald

The U.S. government has sent two Syrian men — who had been held for years as war on terror captives at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo — to Portugal for resettlement, the Justice Department announced Friday.

The short announcement, released just before 6 p.m., did not identify the men and did not say when they arrived in Portugal.

It did say that their release was negotiated by the United States under a review established by the Obama administration to downsize the detainee population ahead of President Barack Obama's mandate to close the controversial prison camps in Cuba, by Jan. 22, 2010.

``The United States has coordinated with the government of Portugal to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with the government of Portugal regarding these detainees,'' it added.

Read the complete story at miamiherald.com

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