Saudi @ MindSay

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred one detainee from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Germany. This detainee was recommended for transfer due to an administrative review board process conducted at Guantanamo Bay. With today's transfer, more than 120 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.  With this transfer, approximately 310 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 450 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

I guess they are closing some U.S. diplomatic offices in Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday because there has been “specific information” about a terrorist threat to those locations/employees. However they are only closing the places for those two days. I don’t understand how this works, I didn’t think it was like the weather where if you missed you’re window the whole thing was shot. I imagine the conversation at the Terrorist Coffee House would be something like this:

AZEEM: Hey Habib, did you hear they’re closing down the place Monday and Tuesday?

HABIB: Yes! I’m so pissed!

AHMED: I know, this screws up my whole week.

HABIB: What the heck are we going to do?!

AHMED: Maybe we can reschedule. How does the 28th sound?

HABIB: [pulls out PDA] Can’t do it, I’ve got a three o’clock and it’s going to take the rest of the afternoon.

AHMED: How about before three? Is eleven too early?

HABIB: I’ve got racquetball at 10 and with the checkpoints I may not even get back home until two or so.

AZEEM: [PDA in hand] Shoot! I can’t either. I’ve got the kids that week so I’m completely out.

HABIB: Curse the Great Satan Bush and his USA! It’s going to take at least six months for us to get everyone’s schedules open again! Who knows if that damn Toyota will even be running in six months!