US review board rejects Kenyan release bid from Guantanamo

MIAMI — A US government review board has rejected a Kenyan prisoner's bid to be released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after nine years in custody.

The Periodic Review Board said in a brief statement that continued detention of Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu is necessary because he poses what it calls a "significant threat" to the security of the United States. The statement was posted yesterday on a Pentagon website.

Abdul Malik is a suspected member of Al-Qaida in East Africa and has been accused of involvement in two terrorist plots in Kenya. He has not been charged with a crime.

There are still 80 prisoners at Guantanamo, including 30 who have been approved for releases that are expected to start in the coming weeks.