Terrorist release stats off by hundreds and hundreds

“In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds and hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield — including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi, who we captured, who we had, who we released.”

— President Donald Trump on Tuesday in the State of the Union address

Trump was referring to prisoners released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay who were confirmed of re-engaging in some type of terrorist activity.

About every six months the Director of National Intelligence releases figures about detainees transferred from Guantanamo and how many are known to have re-engaged in some terrorist activity. The most recent report was published in October

2017 and includes data from 2002, when the prison opened, through

July 2017. During that time the U.S. government transferred more than

700 detainees, and 122 were “confirmed of re-engaging” in some sort of terrorist activity.

Eight of those transfers happened during the Obama administration. The remaining 114 — or over 92 percent — happened under George W. Bush.

So Trump’s “hundreds and hundreds” is really 122 combatants spread out over 15 years.

What about the ISIS leader al-Baghdadi he referred to specifically? From early February 2004 until early December 2004, Baghdadi was held at a U.S. detention system, according to the Defense Department. He was not set free; he was handed over to the Iraqis in 2004, who released him some time later.

Our ruling

Trump overstated the number of prisoners released from Guantanamo who were confirmed of re-engaging in some type of terrorist activity. That number is 122, not “hundreds and hundreds.” He is also not entirely right that al-Baghdadi was “released” by the United States.

We rate this claim Mostly False.