Guantánamo Detainee Freed to Belize

story

Feb 03, 2023

Image copyright: Pool/Reuters [via Al Jazeera]story last updated Feb 03, 2023

The Facts

Majid Khan, a former al-Qaeda courier turned US government witness, has been transferred from the US-run detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Belize, nearly a year after he finished his sentence.
Khan, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003, was initially held at secret overseas CIA black sites, where he endured brutal interrogation methods, including waterboarding, beatings, and sleep deprivation, before being sent to Guantánamo.

The Spin

Democratic narrative

This is a milestone in Biden’s attempt to resettle all the Guantánamo prisoners and close the book on an era of human rights mistakes. It’s been a challenge finding ways to do this in the face of restrictive US laws and tentative foreign countries, but this is a step in the right direction toward emptying the prison.

Washington Post

Republican narrative

Prisoners at Guantánamo are dangerous terrorists, and they shouldn't be given the opportunity to return to the battlefield. Should Biden actually try to shut down Guantánamo, he risks not only a partisan backlash but also the safety and security of US allies.