70 Yemenis to be released from Guantanamo

Sanaa: About 70 Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo Bay are to be sent home very soon, a senior official said Saturday.

"As a result of negotiations between the security agencies of Yemen and US, we have reached an agreement on releasing about 70 detainees of our men in Guantanamo," said Abu Lehoom, chairman of the committee of foreign affairs at Shura council, president's Saleh's advisory council.

"Right now, they are only waiting for the travel procedures, which means any time soon, they'll be arriving here," said Abu Lehoom, who was speaking to a number of American lawyers representing Yemeni detainees, human rights activists and journalists in a traditional Yemeni gathering in his house in Sana'a.

The official, however, did not say when the men could arrive home, and he could not also give a list of those to be sent home.

About one hundred Yemenis, the largest group, are still languishing in Guantanamo after thirteen were released. One Yemeni was sent back a dead body after an alleged suicide.

The move came after a conference held in Sana'a late last week which brought together American lawyers, families of detainees, former detainees, human rights activists and government officials.

The conference recommended formation of a committee to follow up the release of the Yemenis and demanded the government to support their efforts for the sake of releasing of all the 270 men who still there and closing Guatanamo.