US Sends 4 Guantanamo Prisoners Back to Afghanistan

The US has returned four Afghans from Guantanamo Bay back to their home country. US officials say the transfer—which drops the number of detainees at the facility to 132—is a sign of confidence in new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The Defense Department identities them as Mohammed Zahir, Shawali Khan, Abdul Ghani, and Khi Ali Gul. All had been held for more than a decade, reports Reuters, but they are considered to be "low-level" detainees who will not pose a security risk back home in Afghanistan. They were flown to Kabul overnight and transferred into the custody of Afghan officials. (More Guantanamo Bay stories.)