Uruguay Takes Six Guantanamo Prisoners For Resettlement

Six men have been flown from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Uruguay where they will be resettled.

The release on December 7 of four Syrians, a Tunisian, and a Palestinian marks the largest single group to leave the U.S. detention camp since 2009.

The six -- who had been in Guantanamo for more than a decade -- were taken to a hospital for medical checks after they arrived in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.

President Barack Obama said when he came into office that he would quickly shut down the prison but has been unable to do so.

Seven other prisoners have been transferred from Guantanamo in the past month, including three to Georgia, two to Slovakia, one to Saudi Arabia, and one to Kuwait.

There are still 136 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, which was opened in 2001.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP