Two detainees were released by the Americans from Guantanamo Prison in Cuba. They are to take up residence in Germany. Ahmed Mohammed al-Shurfa, 34, a stateless person of Palestinian heritage and Mahmoud Salim al Ali, 36, originally from Syria were transported to Germany today.
The US authorites who have held the pair at Guantanamo Prison since 2002 have deemed them to be a non-threat. The areas in Germany where they were sent will endeavor to integrate them into the German society as well and as quickly as possible.
The first step in the assimilation process will be a complete medical exam and treatment of any problems that are discovered.
The difficulty in finding countries willing to accept detainees from the offshore prison has been a barrier to closing the camp. In spite of the American president's vow to shut the place down by last January, about 180 prisoners remain. Some of them are facing military trials.
The lone Canadian remains awaiting a military tribunal in October. Omar Khadr was apprehended in Afghanistan when he was 15. He is accused of killing a medic during a firefight.
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