The Periodic Review Boards administrate a US ''"administrative procedure"'' for recommending whether certain individuals held in the

Guantanamo Bay detention camp The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...

s, in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

are safe to release or transfer, or whether they should continue to be held without charge. The boards are authorized by and overseen by the

Periodic Review Secretariat The Periodic Review Secretariat is a body authorized by President Barack Obama in Executive Order 13567, on March 7, 2011. The Secretariat oversees Periodic Review Boards. The Boards convene hearings to make recommendations about selected individual ...

, which

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

set up with

Executive Order 13567 Executive Order 13567 was signed by President Barack Obama on March 7, 2011. Entitled "Periodic Review of Individuals Detained at Guantánamo Bay Naval Station Pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force", its purpose was to e ...

on March 7, 2011. Senior Civil Service officials from six agencies sit on the Board: the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...

Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

and

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, and the offices of the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...

and the

Director of National Intelligence The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior, cabinet-level United States government official, required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Commu ...

. Each member has a veto over any recommendation. Although Obama authorized the Secretariat to conduct periodic reviews in early 2011, the first review was not conducted until late 2013. On July 21, 2013,

Carol Rosenberg Carol Rosenberg is a senior journalist at ''The New York Times.'' Long a military-affairs reporter at the ''Miami Herald'', from January 2002 into 2019 she reported on the operation of the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camps, at its nav ...

, writing in the ''

Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a List of communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, city in western Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the M ...

'', reported that the announcement that the Boards would finally be convened followed a ''"flurry of emails"'' to the captives attorneys—after years of delay. Rosenberg noted that the announcement from

Norton C. Joerg Norton C. Joerg is a lawyer and retired Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Joerg is only the ninth navy reserve attorney to reach flag rank. After his retirement Joerg was appointed to a senior position in the Periodic Review Secretariat The ...

, a former officer and senior lawyer with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, came at the height of the most widespread

Guantanamo hunger strike The Guantanamo Bay Hunger Strikes were a series of prisoner protests at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The first hunger strikes began in 2002 when the camp first opened, but the secrecy of the camp's operations prevented news of those strike ...

. Individuals who have faced charges, become eligible to have their status reviewed by a Periodic Review Board, if the charges they faced are dropped. In 2013, 24 new individuals who the

Guantanamo Review Task Force The Guantanamo Review Task Force was created by Executive Order 13492 issued by President of the United States Barack Obama on January 22, 2009, his second full day in office. United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced Matthew G. Olsen ...

had recommended should face charges, had those charges dropped, and became eligible for review, when appeals courts had overturned convictions for ''"

providing material support for terrorism In United States law, providing material support for terrorism is a crime prohibited by the USA PATRIOT Act and codified in title 18 of the United States Code, section2339Aan2339B It applies primarily to groups designated as terrorists by the St ...

"''. During the second review, on January 28, 2014, that of Abdel Malik al Rahabi, nine reporters and four human rights workers were allowed to observe a video-link to the 19 minute unclassified portion of the hearing. 69 other individuals can expect to have their status reviewed. Almost half of the individuals still at Guantanamo have already been cleared for release or transfer—some as long ago as 2005, so critics have questioned how meaningful it had been to clear Mahmud Abd Al Aziz Al Mujahid for release. Under the Obama Administration, the Board examined 63 detainees, recommending 37 of those to be transferred. Of the 693 total former detainees transferred out of Guantanamo, 30% are suspected or confirmed to have reengaged in terrorist activity. Of those detainees that were transferred out under President Obama, 5.6% are confirmed and 6.8% are suspected of reengaging in terrorist activity. The Board held its first hearing under President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

on February 9, 2017. Warning of the danger of recidivism, that same day eleven Republican Senators wrote a letter encouraging the President to immediately suspend the Board and to prohibit the transfer of any detainees. On February 6, 2018, the first full review during the Trump administration took place.

Khalid Ahmed Qasim Khalid Ahmed Qasim is a Yemeni citizen who has been held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, since May 2002. Official status reviews Originally the Bush Presidency asserted that captives apprehe ...

had had four file reviews since his first full review, on March 6, 2015.

Timeline

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite news , url = http://www.amny.com/news/u-s-guantanamo-board-to-review-case-of-dirty-30-bin-laden-bodyguard-1.7450132 , title = U.S. Guantanamo board to review case of 'Dirty 30' bin Laden bodyguard , publisher = AM NY , date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320213617/http://www.amny.com/news/u-s-guantanamo-board-to-review-case-of-dirty-30-bin-laden-bodyguard-1.7450132 , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = dead , quote = The hearing is the third by the review board, designed to ease the eventual closing of the prison. About 70 of the 154 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay cannot be prosecuted for various reasons but are considered too dangerous to release. , access-date = 2014-03-20 {{cite news , url = https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/freedom-by-powerpoint-a-guantanamo-forever-prisoner-seeks-transfer-20140320 , title = Freedom by PowerPoint: A Guantanamo 'Forever Prisoner' Seeks Transfer , publisher =

Rolling Stone magazine ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...

, author = John Knefel , date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320212117/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/freedom-by-powerpoint-a-guantanamo-forever-prisoner-seeks-transfer-20140320 , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = live , quote = The personal representatives submitted a PowerPoint business plan to show that Razihi intended to live a peaceful civilian life in Yemen. {{cite news , url = https://news.yahoo.com/guantanamo-detainee-yemen-pleads-sent-home-184751315.html , title = Guantanamo detainee from Yemen pleads to be sent home , publisher =

Yahoo News Yahoo! News is a news website that originated as an internet-based news aggregator by Yahoo!. The site was created by a Yahoo! software engineer named Brad Clawsie in August 1996. Articles originally came from news services such as the Associate ...

, date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320211629/http://news.yahoo.com/guantanamo-detainee-yemen-pleads-sent-home-184751315.html , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = live , quote = With a thick beard and gray prison garb, 34-year-old Ali Ahmed Mohammed al-Rahizi was presented to the panel reviewing his case as "possibly having served as a guard" for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. {{cite news , url = http://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/474742/Guantanamo-prisoner-asks-to-go-home-to-Yemen.html?isap=1&nav=5024 , title = Guantanamo prisoner asks to go home to Yemen , publisher =

Iron Mountain Daily News Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front ...

, date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ironmountaindailynews.com%2Fpage%2Fcontent.detail%2Fid%2F474742%2FGuantanamo-prisoner-asks-to-go-home-to-Yemen.html%3Fisap%3D1%26nav%3D5024&date=2014-03-20 , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = dead , quote = The review board, with offices near the Pentagon, is part of President Barack Obama's effort to close the prison. Made up of representatives from six U.S. government agencies, the board now must decide if al-Razihi poses any lingering threat to the United States, a process that could take weeks. {{cite news , url = http://www.firstpost.com/world/u-s-guantanamo-board-reviews-case-of-dirty-30-bin-laden-bodyguard-1443527.html , title = U.S. Guantanamo board reviews case of 'Dirty 30' bin Laden bodyguard , publisher =

Firstpost ''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18. The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...

, date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320210546/http://www.firstpost.com/world/u-s-guantanamo-board-reviews-case-of-dirty-30-bin-laden-bodyguard-1443527.html , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = live , quote = Razihi's hearing before the Periodic Review Board was to re-examine whether he should continue to be held without charge at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. military prison in Cuba, or be transferred, possibly home to Yemen. {{cite news , url = http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/15/3755883/guantanamos-forever-captives-to.html , title = Guantánamo's forever captives to make pitch for freedom in secret , publisher =

, author = Carol Rosenberg , author-link = Carol Rosenberg , date = 2013-11-15 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131116030600/http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/15/3755883/guantanamos-forever-captives-to.html , archivedate = 2013-11-16 , accessdate = 2014-02-02 , url-status = live , quote = President Barack Obama ordered his administration to set up the so-called Periodic Review Boards March 7, 2011. In July, Defense Department officials said the boards would review the files of 71 Guantánamo prisoners' cases — 46 so-called "indefinite detainees" and 25 men once considered candidates for war crimes trials. {{cite news , url = http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2013/07/20137218557784533.html , title = Panel to review Guantanamo detainees: A new governmental process will review whether specific detainees should be freed , publisher =

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, author = Jason Leopold , author-link = Jason Leopold , date = 2013-07-24 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130721135622/http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2013/07/20137218557784533.html , archivedate=2013-07-21 , url-status = live , quote = Two years after President Obama signed an executive order establishing a parole board of sorts to review whether any of Guantanamo's 48 "indefinite detainees" can be released, the panel is finally getting to work, with an eye towards reducing the population, Al Jazeera has learned. {{cite news , url = https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/28/dispatches-opaque-ever-guantanamo , title = Dispatches: Opaque As Ever at Guantanamo , publisher =

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

, author = Andrea Prasow , author-link = Andrea Prasow , date = 2014-01-28 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202162823/http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/28/dispatches-opaque-ever-guantanamo , archivedate = 2014-02-02 , url-status = live , quote = Nineteen minutes. That's how long the review hearing for a Guantanamo detainee lasted this morning. Or, to be more exact, that's as much of the proceeding as nine reporters and four representatives from nongovernmental organizations were permitted to observe, via video feed, from a secure conference room in Arlington, Virginia. {{cite news , url = http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/21/3512527/pentagon-prepares-parole-board.html , title = Pentagon prepares review panels for 71 Guantánamo detainees , publisher =

, author = Carol Rosenberg , author-link = Carol Rosenberg , date = 2013-07-21 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130822171949/http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/21/3512527/pentagon-prepares-parole-board.html , archivedate = 2013-08-22 , accessdate = 2014-02-03 , url-status = live , quote = The disclosure followed a flurry of emails sent after 10 p.m. Friday by Pentagon bureaucrats notifying attorneys for some of the 71 captives that preparations were underway to hold the so-called Periodic Review Boards ordered by President Barack Obama years ago. {{cite news, url =http://www.prs.mil/ReviewInformation.aspx, title =Periodic Review Secretariat: Review Information, publisher =

, archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20131230212757/http://www.prs.mil/ReviewInformation.aspx, archivedate =2013-12-30, url-status =dead {{cite news , url = https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/guantanamo-hearings-limit-media-ngo-access-21701402?singlePage=true , title = New Guantanamo Hearings Limit Media, NGO Access , publisher =

Abc News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

, author = Ben Fox , date = 2014-01-25 , location =

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140206000600/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/guantanamo-hearings-limit-media-ngo-access-21701402?singlePage=true , archivedate = 2014-02-06 , url-status = live , quote = Some prisoners at Guantanamo are getting an opportunity to plead for their release, but journalists and observers from human rights groups won't get to hear them in what critics say is a break from past practice at the U.S. base in Cuba. {{cite news , url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/us/military-board-in-a-first-says-yemeni-should-stay-detained.html?_r=1 , title = Panel Says Yemeni Man Should Stay in Detention , work =

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

, author = Charlie Savage , date = 2014-03-12 , page = A18 , location =

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140327014430/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/us/military-board-in-a-first-says-yemeni-should-stay-detained.html?_r=1 , archivedate = 2014-03-27 , accessdate = 2014-02-13 , url-status = dead , quote = A parole-style panel at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has decided to recommend that the military continue to hold a Yemeni man in indefinite wartime detention without trial, according to a military document. The decision is the first of its kind for the Obama administration's new Periodic Review Board system. {{cite news , url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guantanamo-alrazihi-idUSBREA2J0M420140320 , title = U.S. Guantanamo board to review case of 'Dirty 30' bin Laden bodyguard , publisher =

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

, author = Ian Simpson , date = 2014-03-20 , location =

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320154904/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/20/us-usa-guantanamo-alrazihi-idUSBREA2J0M420140320 , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = live , quote = A suspected Osama bin Laden bodyguard held at Guantanamo Bay military prison for 12 years is due to face a U.S. national security board on Thursday that will weigh whether he should remain jailed there. {{cite news , url = http://www.lawfareblog.com/2014/03/periodic-review-board-hearing-today/ , title = Periodic Review Board Hearing Today , publisher =

Lawfare Lawfare is the use of legal systems and institutions to damage or delegitimize an opponent, or to deter individual's usage of their legal rights.''Unrestricted Warfare''p. 55 The term may refer to the use of legal systems and principles against ...

, author = Wells Bennett , date = 2014-03-20 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140320163803/http://www.lawfareblog.com/2014/03/periodic-review-board-hearing-today/ , archivedate = 2014-03-20 , url-status = live , quote = Today an interagency review panel will hear, by video hookup, the case of Guantanamo detainee Ali Ahmad al-Razihi. The issue is whether the Yemeni's further detention is necessary to protect a continuing, significant security threat to the United States. {{cite news , url = http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2014/04/05/please-read-guantanamo-forever-my-latest-article-for-al-jazeera-english/ , title = Please Read "Guantánamo Forever," My Latest Article for Al-Jazeera English , author = Andy Worthington , author-link = Andy Worthington , date = 2014-04-05 , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140406222342/http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2014/04/05/please-read-guantanamo-forever-my-latest-article-for-al-jazeera-english/ , archivedate = 2014-04-06 , url-status = live , quote = The review boards began in November, and have, to date, reviewed just three of the 71 cases they were set up to review. The fourth, reviewing the case of Ghaleb al-Bihani, a Yemeni, takes place on April 8. {{cite news , url = http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/28/4143820/federal-board-oks-release-of-forever.html , title = Board OKs release of sickly 'forever prisoner' who learned yoga at Guantánamo: Ghaleb Nassar al Bihani, 35, of Yemen is cleared for release 'when practicable' and says he would prefer going to a third country rather than his homeland , publisher =

, author = Carol Rosenberg , author-link = Carol Rosenberg , date = 2014-05-28 , location =

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Guantanamo Bay Naval Base ( es, Base Naval de la Bahía de Guantánamo), officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO, pronounced Gitmo as jargon by members of the U.S. military) is a United States military base ...

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140602002855/http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/28/4143820/federal-board-oks-release-of-forever.html , archivedate = 2014-06-02 , accessdate = 2014-06-02 , url-status = live , quote = The Yemeni's new designation as eligible for release means that of Guantánamo prison's 154 captives, 43 are now considered indefinite detainees and 78 could leave once the State Department negotiates transfer deals. The rest include three convicted war criminals and other captives either awaiting trial or considered possible tribunal candidates. {{cite news , url = http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/article15280844.html , title = Guantánamo parole board clears another 'forever prisoner' , publisher =

, author = Carol Rosenberg , author-link = Carol Rosenberg , date = 2015-03-18 , page = , location = , accessdate = , quote = Board members from the Departments of Defense, Justice, State, Homeland Security as well as the National Intelligence directorate cited as a reason for his release a "lack of indications that the detainee harbors anti-American sentiments, extremist beliefs or intention to reengage" after 13 years in U.S. military custody. Guantanamo Bay detention camp