The United States on Friday sent two Syrians held at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Portugal for resettlement.
The transfer was made under a review established by the Obama administration to downsize the detainee population at Guantanamo ahead of the president's timetable to close the controversial prison by Jan. 22, 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.
"The United States has coordinated with the government of Portugal to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with the government of Portugal regarding these detainees," the statement said.
Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said the two men's names were not made public at the request of Portugal.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese government said it granted the two men "humanitarian asylum" at a "specific request" from the U.S. government.
The two Syrians are not subject to any charges in Portugal, it added.
The transfer followed the repatriation of a young Afghan detainee at the Guantanamo detention facility earlier this week.
With the transfer of the two Syrians, the Guantanamo prison, which was opened in 2002, still holds 226 detainees.
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2009)
