The White House
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The Biden administration restarted the Guantanamo Bay detainee transfer program on Monday by transferring 56-year old Moroccan prisoner Abdul Latif Nasser back to his home country, the Department of Defense announced.

“In 2016, the Periodic Review Board (PRB) process determined that law of war detention of Abdul Latif Nasir no longer remained necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States,” said the Department of Defense in a statement.

“Therefore, the PRB recommended that Nasir be authorized for repatriation to his native country of Morocco, subject to security and humane treatment assurances. The steps necessary to effectuate the repatriation were unable to be completed prior to the end of the Obama administration.”

There are currently 39 detainees remaining in Guantanamo Bay, said the Department of Defense.

“The United States commends the Kingdom of Morocco for its long-time partnership in securing both countries’ national security interests. The United States is also extremely grateful for the Kingdom’s willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” they added.

In February, the Biden administration said it intended to close the detention facility by the end of Biden’s first term.

National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne confirmed to Reuters that a formal review of the prison was underway, saying “We are undertaking an NSC process to assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has inherited from the previous administration, in line with our broader goal of closing Guantanamo."