Offering a glimpse into the top-secret world of Guantanamo Bay, the Pentagon has released the names and home countries of many detainees who have been held at the isolated military prison for up to four years.

Hundreds of foreign detainees suspected of terrorist ties will get their first formal opportunity to argue for their release at review panels that the US military is preparing in coming days at its base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Two years to the day after the first prisoners began arriving at Guantanamo Bay, families of detainees are asking how much longer they must wait for their loved ones to be tried or released.