US frees further 26 Guantanamo Bay prisoners

WASHINGTON - The United States has released 26 more prisoners from the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sending 23 men to Afghanistan and three to Pakistan to be set free, the Pentagon said yesterday.

A US defence spokesman said that the prisoners, who were not identified beyond their nationalities, were flown out of Guantanamo over the weekend.

It was the latest release from the prison, which was set up after President George W. Bush declared war on terrorism in 2001 and where more than 600 people are still detained.

Most of those sent home have been freed, although some are being detained for possible prosecution.

The Pentagon did not say specifically why it released the 26 men, who were held without charges or legal representation, or how long they had been held.

"They're no longer a threat to the US. They have no intelligence value. So we made a determination and released the individuals," said the spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon said 119 detainees had been released from Guantanamo since the detention facilities opened in January 2002, with 12 others transferred for continued detention in their home countries. The previous transfer was announced on March 1, with seven Russian nationals returned to Russia for continued detention there.

Of about 610 still being held at Guantanamo most were caught in Afghanistan. Two have been charged and four have been given lawyers.

The Pentagon also said that at least one of the prisoners released from Guantanamo has resumed guerrilla activities, but declined to identify even the nationality of the prisoner or the nature of his activities.

"We make a determination about the detention and release of a detainee based on the best information and evidence we have at the time," the Pentagon said.

"The circumstances in which detainees are apprehended can be ambiguous, and many of them are highly skilled in concealing the truth. The process of evaluation and detention is not free of risk - at least one detainee has gone back to the fight."

- REUTERS