Intel report: 121 former Gitmo detainees returned to terrorism
By Rebecca Kheel
The Hill
Two more Guantanamo Bay detainees released by former President Obama are suspected of re-engaging in terrorism, while one fewer is confirmed of re-engaging, according to updated data released Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
In all, the percentage of former detainees released by both Obama and former President George W. Bush confirmed or suspected of returning to terrorism dropped a percentage point to 29 percent.
The report, which is released every March and September, comes after President Trump earlier in the day incorrectly blamed Obama for releasing all the former detainees confirmed of re-engaging in terrorism.
“122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
Trump appeared to be responding to a “Fox and Friends” report, which was reporting on numbers in the September ODNI report.
In the September report, the intelligence community said 113 former detainees released by President George W. Bush were confirmed to be re-engaging in terrorism, while nine released by Obama were confirmed.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer later said that Trump was talking about those released “in totality.”
In Tuesday’s report, the confirmed number for Bush stayed the same at 113 as of Jan. 15.
But for Obama, the number confirmed of re-engagement is now eight as of Jan. 15. It’s unclear why the number was lowered.
That means that 4.4 percent of the 182 detainees released by Obama at that point are confirmed of re-engaging in terrorism, down from 5.6 percent in the September report.
Still, 13 former detainees released by Obama are suspected of re-engaging, up from 11 in the September report. That places the percentage at 7.1 percent, up from 6.8 in September.
For Bush, the number of released detainees suspected of re-engaging in terrorism decreased to 74 from 75 in September.
One more detainee released by Bush who was confirmed to have returned to terrorism is now dead, bringing that number to 30. Additionally, six fewer released by Bush confirmed or suspected of re-engaging are in foreign custody, bring the number to 37.
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