U.S. Sends Six Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen

Six detainees held for years without trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Yemen, as part of the Obama administration's plan to reduce the population at the U.S. military prison.

A senior White House official told The New York Times that the recent repatriations came on the heels of the transfer of another Yemeni detainee in September. The administration is testing the president's policy, which he hopes will result in the closing of the prison.

Fourteen detainees from Yemen were sent home while George W. Bush was president. Over 90 Yemenis remain at Guantanamo, nearly half of the total detainee population, according to the Times.

There had been concerns about the Yemeni government's willingness to handle detainees, but the administration official told the paper the U.S. government has a growing confidence in Yemen's commitment to fighting homegrown terrorism.

Last week, with U.S. assistance, Yemen carried out raids on suspected insurgent camps and said its security forces had killed dozens of Al Qaeda militants, the Times reported.