Detainee transfers concern U.S. senators

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- A growing number of Democratic U.S. senators fear detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may be transferred to countries where they might be tortured.

The concern comes as discussions accelerate about closing the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

In a letter Friday to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the six senators said they opposed sending the detainees to nations with shoddy human rights records, such as Libya and Tunisia.

The senators said the current policy of obtaining diplomatic assurances the detainees will be treated lawfully is not enough and called for an independent review process of future transfers.

The letter was signed by Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Barack Obama, both of Illinois, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. An estimated 375 detainees remain at Guantanamo.