Three Guantanamo detainees sent to Ireland, Yemen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three detainees held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been sent to Ireland and Yemen, the Justice Department said on Saturday, the latest transfers as President Barack Obama tries to close the facility by January.

Yemeni Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed was sent to his home country, while two other detainees were sent to Ireland, the U.S. government said, adding it would not identify the two at the request of the Irish government.

There are still 223 detainees at the controversial prison at a U.S. naval base in Cuba. Some are expected to be transferred abroad while others could face charges in U.S. military tribunals or in American courtrooms.

Obama has pledged to close by mid-January 2010 the facility set up by the Bush administration in 2002 to hold foreign terrorism suspects captured after U.S.-led forces invaded Afghanistan.

Recent reports have suggested the administration may not meet the deadline because of legal, political and diplomatic issues involving the detainees.

Yemen's embassy in Washington said it welcomed the transfer of the Yemeni detainee, who it said had been held for seven years after he was detained in Pakistan in March 2002.

"Yemen will continue its diplomatic dialogue with the United States government to repatriate the remaining Yemeni detainees," the embassy said in a statement.

Ireland said previously it was looking at taking in two Uzbek prisoners. The United States has worried about sending some of the prisoners back to their home countries where they might be persecuted.

Earlier this week, the Obama administration said it had struck a deal with the tiny island nation of Palau to take in as many as 12 Chinese Uighur detainees, and that so far six had agreed to go. Another four Uighurs have been moved to Bermuda.

Many detainees, including the released Yemeni, have challenged their detention at Guantanamo in a U.S. federal court. So far, 30 have won legal battles ordering their release while seven have been denied.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by Peter Cooney)