Pentagon: 1 in 7 Gitmo Prisoners Rejoin Fight

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 20, 2009 4:53 PM CDT
Pentagon: 1 in 7 Gitmo Prisoners Rejoin Fight
Guards stand on either side of a lineup of Guantanamo detainees.   (AP Photo)

A Pentagon report concludes that 74 of 534 prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay returned to militant activity—a recidivism rate of 14%, or about 1 in 7, the New York Times notes. The report, still under review, could complicate President Obama’s goal of shutting the facility by January because of concerns about where remaining prisoners will go. He’ll offer more details of the plan tomorrow.

The Times notes that critics have called into question the accuracy of previous Pentagon reports on the subject. “It’s part of a campaign to win the hearts and minds of history for Guantanamo,” said a Seton Hall law professor who has represented Guantanamo detainees. “They want to be able to claim there really were bad people there.” (More Guantanamo Bay stories.)

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