Empty detention cells in the abandoned Camp X-Ray at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on July 23, 2015. Photo by Ezra Kaplan/UPI
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the latest Guantanamo detainee has been returned to his home in Morocco with no charges.
Younis Abdurrahman Chekkouri, 46, was captured by Pakistani forces in December 2001. After escaping from custody during a prison riot, he was detained again and transferred to U.S. forces in Kandahar. The U.S. government is currently working with the Moroccan government to secure further details of his release, which may include further imprisonment in his own country. His release from Guantanamo Bay brings the prisoner population there down to 115.
Chekkouri was approved to be released from Guantanamo 4 years ago, however the procedure requires approval from 6 government departments and agencies.
According to Defense Department documents released by WikiLeaks, Chekkouri was a close associate of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, and helped to supply his fighters in Afghanistan. In his home country, he co-founded a group called the Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group, and served as the head of the group's Military Commission.
Before being detained, U.S. officials say Chekkouri helped oversee operations by the group, occasionally in partnership with al-Qaida, across the Middle East, including in Afghanistan, Syria, and Turkey. He was considered to be of high intelligence value after being captured by coalition forces.
Despite this, Chekkouri was never charged with a crime.
U.S. government leaders continue to face political pressure to close and end detention procedures at Guantanamo Bay. President Barack Obama has maintained a favorable view of doing this since before taking office.
