U.S. recommends transfer of Afghan prisoner out of Guantanamo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it had cleared for release Mohammed Kamin, an Afghan man held at the Guantanamo Bay prison for foreign terrorism suspects for more than 11 years. Kamin, who is about 37, was recommended to be transferred out of the facility by the Periodic Review Board, a parole board-style body made up of U.S. national security officials who have the job of determining if detainees present a threat to the United States. In making its decision, the board noted that Kamin had been candid in describing his past activities, had been "one of the more compliant detainees at Guantanamo" and that there was no evidence he had expressed extremist views while detained or harboured anti-American feelings. A summary of the board's decision was provided by the Pentagon. The decision means that Kamin is eligible for transfer. At that point, a detainee's release is dependent on negotiations with host countries on an eventual transition to a third country or return to their home country. A detainee profile released earlier by the government said Kamin had been aligned with militant groups including al Qaeda before he was captured by Afghan authorities in 2003. But, it added, that information came entirely from Kamin's own statements, and at times he had contradicted himself. He was transferred to Guantanamo in September 2004. Kamin was charged in April 2008 with one count of material support for terrorism, but the charge was withdrawn in 2009, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy organisation that represented Kamin. In a 2008 hearing on the charges, Kamin said through an interpreter that accusations that he had joined al Qaeda and trained at one of its camps were a lie and a forgery, and said he had no connection with al Qaeda or the Taliban. "Clearing Mr. Kamin for release was the right decision," said Shayana Kadidal, who represented Kamin. "It is also the right decision for numerous other men who remain trapped in indefinite detention at Guantanamo." The Guantanamo Bay prison camp at the American naval base in Cuba has been one of President Barack Obama's most intractable problems. He vowed to close the prison within a year when he came to office in 2009. The White House said in July that it was in the final stage of drafting a plan to close Guantanamo. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Frances Kerry)