Obama to Transfer Four Guantanamo Detainees, More By Inaugural

Four detainees being held at the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay are slated to be transferred to Saudi Arabia by sometime Thursday, according to a new report.

Fox News reported the names of the soon-to-be released detainees are not known. There could be as many as 20 transfers between now and inauguration day, when President Barack Obama leaves office.

With the Democratic party's backing, Obama has been trying to close the detention camp on the island of Cuba for years. It will still house some detainees, likely about 40, when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in Jan. 20.

The White House announced the administration's plans regarding the release of more detainees Tuesday, with spokesman Josh Earnest saying, "I would expect at this point additional transfers to be announced before Jan. 20."

Trump is opposed to releasing any more of the detainees, who are all either terrorists or suspected terrorists captured on battlefields in the Middle East. There are currently 59 detainees at the facility.

There should be no further releases from Gitmo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017 

The U.S. Naval facility at Guantanamo Bay has been open since 1903, but the detention facility within it has only been operational since 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

• Sen. Tom Cotton: Stop Gitmo Transfers; Remaining Are 'Worst of the Worst'
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