Guantánamo Population Drops to 93 after 10 Prisoners get transferred to Oman

The number of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay has fallen to 93 after 10 lower-level detainees were transferred to Oman, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.

The latest move is a sign of progress for President Barack Obama, who introduced a campaign to reduce the number of detainees at the military prison with the hopes of closing it down. Obama did mention this campaign during his final State of the Union Address on Tuesday.

Obama described Guantánamo Bay as "expensive" and "unnecessary," and stated that "it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies."

On Monday, after it was announced that the 10 Yemeni prisoners were moved, the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, stated, "This chipping away at the population ... certainly is what we can do right now. And we have made some progress in reducing the population at the prison at Guantanamo Bay. But ultimately, to accomplish the goal of closing it, we're going to need Congress to remove some obstacles that have prevented it thus far."

The 10 prisoners were approved for a transfer by the Guantánamo Review Task Force, which was set up by the President. Secretary of Defense, Ashton B. Carter, signed off on the transfer. Congress was also notified, the Pentagon stated.

The Defense Department's statement read:

"The United States is grateful to the government of Oman for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility."

This is not the first time that Oman has taken in prisoners. In 2015, the country took in 10 men.

State Department Official, Lee Wolosky stated, reported by the New York Times, that by mid-2016, 34 more prisoners could be moved depending on the security measures and conditions of the receiving country.

"Sustained diplomatic engagement led us to this important milestone," Wolosky said. "We are very grateful to our friends and partners in the gulf and elsewhere who have resettled Yemeni detainees, and we expect to be in a position to empty Guantánamo of all detainees who are currently approved for transfer by this summer."

The 10 prisoners who were moved are Fahed Abdullah Ahamd Ghazai, Samir Naji al-Hasan Muqbil, Adham Mohamed Ali Awad, Mukhtar Yahya Naji al-Warafi, Abu Bakr Ibn Muhammad al-Ahdal, Muhammad Salih Husayn al-Shaykh, Muhammad Said Salim Bin Salman, Said Muhammad Salih Hatim, Umar Said Salim al-Dini, and Fahmi Abdallah Ahmad Ubadi al-Tulaqi.

They served about 14 years at Guantánamo.