It could be a step towards the closure of Guantanamo Bay: For the first time, the government of US President Joe Biden has transferred a prisoner to his home country.
Washington - Around six months after taking office, US President Joe Biden's government has transferred a prisoner from the Guantanamo prison camp to his home country for the first time.
The Defense Department said that Abdul Latif Nasir was brought to Morocco because he no longer posed a threat to US national security.
Morocco had given security guarantees and promised "humane treatment" for Nasir, it said.
39 prisoners remain in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The camp was set up after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 under Republican President George W. Bush to detain suspected Islamist terrorists without trial.
Bush's successor, Democrat Barack Obama, wanted to close it, but failed due to opposition in the US Congress.
The Republican Donald Trump, in turn, wanted to keep the camp open.
Now Obama's former Vice President, today's President Biden, is trying to close again.
The US government is relying on a "considered and thorough process" to "responsibly reduce the number of prisoners," said the State Department.
Nasir, who was transferred to Morocco, was directly affected by the political back-and-forth in the USA: a commission set up under Obama recommended his dismissal in 2016.
However, the necessary steps could no longer be taken before the change of government - and Trump strictly rejected dismissals from the camp.
The Pentagon did not provide any information on whether Nasir would remain detained or released in Morocco.
The Foreign Ministry thanked Morocco for its willingness to accept Nasir and appealed to other countries to also accept their citizens who had fought for terrorist organizations abroad.
dpa