Pool photo by Brennan Linsley
The National Security Council announced Tuesday that the White House is planning to transfer even more detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, even after the drama over the prisoner swap to secure the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. “While we do not generally discuss transfers before they take place, we are fully committed to implementing the president’s direction that we transfer detainees to the greatest extent possible, consistent with national security and our humane-treatment policy, as we work toward closing the facility at Guantanamo Bay,” spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. Over the last 13 months, 17 inmates have been moved out of Guantanamo, while 149 inmates remain. Last week, President Obama tied the release of prisoners to the ending of war in Afghanistan. “By definition, if we in fact are ending a war, then there’s going to be a process in which some of those individuals are going to be released,” he said.