Faez Mohammed Ahmed al-Kandari, originally from Kuwait and the alleged spiritual adviser to Osama bin Laden, will soon be the 12th and final Kuwaiti Guantanamo Bay detainee to be released from the U.S. naval facility in Cuba, the
Daily Caller reports.
After a rare second hearing before the federal multi-agency panel called the Periodic Review Board (PRB), they determined that holding al-Kandari “does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States."
"The Board determined the detainee’s threat can be adequately mitigated by the Kuwaiti government’s commitment to require and maintain the detainee’s participation in a rehabilitation program and to implement robust security measures to include monitoring and travel restrictions," the PRB noted.
Al-Kandari, 40, is one of 54 detainees who was eligible for a hearing, but also noted as one of the most dangerous Kuwaiti detainees at the facility.
After his first hearing, the PRB did not rule in his favor, but now, after his second hearing, and after a $14 million lobbying effort by Kuwaiti government and business interest, the believed al-Qaida propagandist is set to be released.
According to the ruling, The PRB determined that al-Kandari had “demonstrated a willingness to examine his religious beliefs" and revealed a greater willingness to engage with Kuwaiti officials and to “disassociate with negative influences since his last hearing," Daily Caller reports.
Al-Kandari will be returned to Kuwait within 45 to 60 days where he will be transferred to a facility operated by the Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Working Group.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.