Officials from Barack Obama's outgoing administration have made Congress aware that they intend to transfer 17 or 18 of the 59 remaining detainees from Guantanamo Bay by the end of next month, according to the New York Times.

By law, the Pentagon must notify Congress 30 days before a prisoner transfer, a deadline that Obama made on Monday.

In June, Obama made sure to release Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab al-Rahabi, the bodyguard, 9/11 planner, and possible relative of Osama bin Laden, from Guantanamo Bay.

In September, Obama's administration informed the American people that two more Islamic terrorists released from Guantanamo Bay returned to the battlefield to fight against the United States. That news lifted the total to nine people freed from Guantanamo who rejoined militant groups since Barack Obama took office in 2009.

And earlier this year, a senior Defense Department official told lawmakers that Americans have been killed by prisoners released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

"What I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of (Guantanamo) detainees," Paul Lewis said. "When anybody dies, it is a tragedy and we don't want anybody to die because we transfer detainees."