WASHINGTON: Defence Secretary Jim
Mattis visited the US naval base at
Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, the
Pentagon said, marking his first such visit there. ?Secretary
Mattis is currently visiting with troops at
Guantanamo Bay for the holidays to thank them for their service,?
Pentagon spokesman Major Ben Sakrisson said.
Mattis was not visiting the notorious detention center itself, which still houses inmates who were captured after the September 11, 2001 attacks in America and have been held at
Guantanamo ever since.At the height of its operations after 9/11, the prison held 780 people detained mostly for their alleged ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Since then hundreds have been transferred back to their home countries or other places. Some of the most notorious inmates, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, including accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are still awaiting trial.
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