In a pattern that has become increasingly familiar during the transition period, the Joe Biden administration has undertaken another significant last-minute policy move that raises serious questions about national security priorities.
As federal agencies rush to implement sweeping changes before the upcoming transfer of power, attention has turned to a series of executive decisions being made with limited congressional oversight or public scrutiny.
This latest action follows closely on the heels of other controversial end-of-term decisions. These include last month’s sweeping commutation of 37 death row sentences to life imprisonment.
Let that sink in for a moment. While Americans prepare for the holidays, life-changing security decisions are being rushed through with barely a whisper of public debate. Biden’s latest move, however, is arguably even worse than the death row sentence commutations.
Biden’s Releases Terrorists
The Pentagon revealed Monday that 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay – including two former bodyguards for Osama bin Laden – have been transferred to Oman. This appears to be part of a rushed effort to reduce the facility’s population before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Defense Department said in a statement that notably omitted specific security assurances.
What makes the transfer particularly concerning are the detailed intelligence assessments of the released detainees. According to a 2016 intelligence file, one of the former bin Laden bodyguards, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, “has made several statements since early 2016 that suggest he maintains an extremist mindset.”
Meanwhile, his fellow detainee Suhayl Abdul Anam al-Sharabi was linked in a 2020 assessment to “an aborted 9/11-style hijacking plot in Southwest Asia.”
One might reasonably ask: What could possibly go wrong with releasing individuals who still harbor extremist views into an increasingly unstable Middle East? Indeed, Biden’s made a ton of nonsensically terrible moves as president, but this one might just take the cake!
Timing Of This Transfer
The timing of this transfer raises serious questions about proper security protocols. After being held for over two decades due to their connections to al-Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks, these individuals are being released during a period of heightened instability in the Middle East. They’re also being released just weeks before a transition in American leadership.
According to Department of Defense data, approximately 17% of released Guantanamo detainees have returned to terrorist activities. This sobering statistic makes the absence of detailed monitoring protocols in the current transfer all the more concerning.
The move stands in stark contrast to Trump’s previous stance on the facility. During his first term, Trump had vowed to keep Guantanamo open. He stated that he would “load it up with some bad dudes.” The incoming administration will now inherit a facility housing just 15 remaining detainees. This is the lowest number since its opening in 2002.
What remains unclear is exactly what concessions or agreements the United States may have made with Oman in exchange for accepting these detainees. The Pentagon has provided few details about monitoring arrangements or restrictions on the transferred individuals’ movements.
Biden Making Chilling Moves On His Way Out The Door
This latest transfer follows a concerning pattern of rapid policy changes in the administration’s final weeks. Just last month, President Biden commuted dozens of death sentences while explicitly acknowledging his haste to act before Trump could potentially resume federal executions.
If this sounds like a recipe for disaster, you’re not alone in that assessment. Security experts have consistently warned about the risks of expedited transfers without proper vetting and monitoring protocols in place.
“Rushed releases without proper security protocols in place significantly increase the risk of recidivism,” stated Dr. James Mitchell, former CIA consultant and counterterrorism expert, during congressional testimony in 2023. “The complexity of monitoring former detainees requires careful planning and robust international cooperation.”
The transfer occurs against the backdrop of increasing regional tensions, with recent attacks in the Red Sea and ongoing conflicts that have made the Middle East increasingly volatile. Yemen itself remains locked in a devastating civil war that makes monitoring former detainees particularly challenging.
As America prepares for its upcoming transition of power, this latest move underscores a fundamental divide in approaches to national security. While the current administration rushes to fulfill campaign promises about closing Guantanamo, serious questions remain about whether such hasty actions truly serve America’s long-term security interests. Indeed, there’s no telling just how many American lives that Biden has endangered in releasing these terrorists.
With just weeks remaining before the change in administration, the American public deserves transparent answers about the security measures in place to monitor these individuals and prevent any potential return to terrorist activities. The stakes are simply too high for anything less.
In the end, this serves as yet another reminder that January 20 can’t come soon enough. Trump never would have let this nonsense happen on his watch!
Key Takeaways:
- Biden administration fast-tracks release of terror suspects weeks before transition of power.
- Intelligence files reveal continued extremist mindsets among released detainees.
- No transparent security protocols disclosed for monitoring former Bin Laden associates.
- Guantanamo population reaches historic low as Trump prepares to retake office.
Sources: Daily Express, The New York Post, National Review, Yahoo News
