Plans to close Gitmo anger 9/11 victims' families

Note: Photo included.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/09/former_gitmo_detaine.php

“Former Gitmo detainee killed in shootout”
By THOMAS JOSCELYNSeptember 30, 2009 1:12 PM

SNIPPET: “Fahd Saleh Suleiman al Jutayli was reportedly killed in a shootout in northern Yemen. Photo courtesy of the NEFA Foundation.

A former Guantanamo detainee has reportedly been killed in a shootout between the Yemeni Army and Houthi rebels in northern Yemen. The former detainee, Fahd Saleh Suleiman al Jutayli, was captured in Pakistan after fleeing the Tora Bora Mountains in 2001. He was repatriated to his native Saudi Arabia in May 2006.

According to the Yemen Post, two other former Gitmo detainees - Yusuf al Shehri and Othman al Ghamdi – called their families to tell them Jutayli had been killed in the fighting and asked them to inform Jutayli’s family.

Earlier this year, the Saudi government included all three of these former Guantanamo detainees – Jutayli, Shehri, and Ghamdi - on a list of the Kingdom’s 85 most wanted terrorists. After being released from Guantanamo, the three graduated from Saudi Arabia’s rehabilitation program and joined eight other former Gitmo detainees in fleeing south to Yemen. All eleven joined al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Yusuf al-Shehri, a former Gitmo detainee, reportedly informed his family of Jutayli’s death. Photo courtesy of the NEFA Foundation.

The escape of the eleven former Gitmo detainees from Saudi Arabia was reportedly organized by still other Gitmo veterans. Writing in the May 2009 issue of the CTC Sentinel, Dr. Christopher Boucek, an associate in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that Saudi officials found their disappearance “was well-coordinated in advance.” Their escape “was allegedly coordinated with other non-Saudi former Guantanamo detainees who have been repatriated to other countries, indicating that returnees have maintained ties from Guantanamo,” Boucek reported.”

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/October/09-opa-1095.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, October 9, 2009

United States Transfers Two Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Kuwait and Belgium

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced that two detainees have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the governments of Kuwait and Belgium.

As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer each of these detainees at least 15 days in advance.

Khalid Abdullah Mishal al Mutairi, a native of Kuwait, was transferred to the Government of Kuwait. On July 29, 2009, a federal court ruled that al Mutairi may no longer be detained under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) and ordered the government to release him from detention at Guantanamo Bay.

Another detainee was transferred from Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Belgium. Pursuant to a request from the Government of Belgium, the identity of this individual is being withheld for privacy reasons.

These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and the governments of Kuwait and Belgium. The United States has coordinated with the governments of each of these nations to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with these governments regarding these matters.

Since 2002, more than 550 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

Thanks to Jet Jaguar for the ping to this thread.

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2363195/posts

US House backs Guantanamo prisoner transfer [307 to 114 vote........]
Alertnet.org ^
Posted on October 15, 2009 10:34:17 AM PDT by Sub-Driver

US House backs Guantanamo prisoner transfer 15 Oct 2009 17:26:42 GMT Source: Reuters WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to allow the Obama administration to bring foreign terrorism suspects from the Guantanamo Bay prison to the United States to face trial.

The 307 to 114 vote removes one of many roadblocks the administration faces as it tries to empty the internationally condemned prison by January.

(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2376174/posts

Chinese Muslims from Guantánamo sent to Palau (Uighurs)
Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4:44PM GMT 01 Nov 2009 | Peter Foster
Posted on November 1, 2009 5:07:36 PM PST by Pan_Yan

Six Chinese Muslims who were held in the Guantánamo Bay prison camp for almost eight years have arrived on the tiny Pacific island of Palau.

The detainees from the Turkic Uighur minority were arrested in Afghanistan during the opening days of military operations in 2001 and held as suspected militants until last year when a US military tribunal decided they were not ‘enemy combatants’.

The release of the men, who were greeted on arrival by Palau’s President, Johnson Toribiong, is another small step in US President Barack Obama’s struggle to close the controversial prison camp by January.

Palau, situated 500 miles east of the Philippines, agreed to take the Uighur inmates after lawyers argued they were at risk of torture or execution if they were returned to China, which regards them as terrorists connected to a Uighur separatist movement.

“They appeared to be very happy,” said President Toribiong after meeting the men off their 17-hour military flight, “They smiled, they thanked me, they called me brother. It’s amazing. I feel really good about it.”

The men, aged between 31 and 40, will be housed together in Koror, the main town in Palau where most of the country’s 20,000 residents live and work.

They will enjoy sea-views and a five-minute walk to one of the two mosques that cater to Palau’s 500 Muslims, who are mostly migrant workers from Bangladesh.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/October/09-ag-1179.html

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, October 31, 2009

United States Transfers Six Uighur Detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Palau
Six detainees who are Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the Republic of Palau.

Ahmad Tourson, Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman, Edham Mamet, Anwar Hassan, Dawut Abdurehim and Adel Noori were resettled in Palau earlier today.

These detainees, who were subject to release from Guantanamo Bay as a result of court orders, had been cleared for release by the prior Administration, which determined that it would no longer treat them as enemy combatants. As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force subsequently conducted a comprehensive review of each of the detainees. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer or release from Guantanamo Bay.

In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer each of these detainees at least 15 days in advance.

These transfers were carried out under an arrangement between the United States and the Republic of Palau. The United States has coordinated with the Republic of Palau to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with the Republic of Palau regarding the individuals.

“As we near the completion of our review of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, we will continue to work closely with the Department of State to implement transfer decisions, and we are grateful to the Republic of Palau for its assistance in the resettlement of these individuals,” said Matthew Olsen, Executive Director of the Guantanamo Review Task Force.

Since 2002, more than 550 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

Blog:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/67585-congressman-invokes-fort-hood-shooting-to-object-to-gitmo-prisoner-transfer-

“Congressman invokes Fort Hood shooting to object to Gitmo prisoner transfer”
By Jordan Fabian - 11/12/09 03:23 PM ET

SNIPPET: “A Republican lawmaker on Thursday invoked last week’s Fort Hood shooting to oppose the Obama administration’s decision to transfer Guantanamo Bay prisoners to Yemen.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) said that suspected Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s contact with Yemen-based radical Islamic cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, raises questions about Yemen as a destination for the detainees.

“If the administration does not halt these pending releases immediately, it could be responsible for creating a new revolving door of terrorism that will cost American lives,” Wolf wrote today. “The security of the American people could be at risk because of the administration’s relentless pursuit of a campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay by January 22, 2010.””

Previously...

http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=wolf11.3.09.htm

“Rep Frank Wolf Blasts Obama, Opposes Sending GITMO Detainees To Yemen”

SNIPPET: “November 3, 2009 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th, VA) today again implored the Obama Administration to rethink its position on releasing detainees from Guantanamo Bay to unstable countries like Yemen.

In a speech on the House floor, Wolf said the administration should “immediately terminate” the return of any detainees to Yemen. Wolf said the deteriorating security situation in Yemen, where al-Qaeda operates freely, raises serious questions as to whether the detainees could be properly monitored by the government of Yemen.

Wolf reminded his colleagues that known al-Qaeda terrorists, including some of the USS Cole bombers, have escaped from prison in Yemen and returned to terrorism. He also pointed to recent media reports of a foiled terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia where one of the alleged terrorists was a former Guantanamo detainee who entered the country from Yemen, “The release of any detainee to Yemen represents a potentially serious threat to the United States and U.S. citizens, both military and civilian,” Wolf said.

The Congressman also asked for congressional hearings on the administration’s plans, saying Congress should be “directly involved in the oversight of detention and release of dangerous detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.”

“As of now, the administration is going down a dangerous road, and Congress is idly allowing them to make these misguided decisions,” Wolf said.

On October 1, Wolf, the leading Republican on the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking that all transfers of Guantanamo detainees be stopped until it is clear that the receiving country can properly monitor anyone who is released. Wolf has yet to receive a response to his letter.

Wolf sent copies of his remarks today to President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones, CIA Director Leon Panetta, Attorney General Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

In the letter he pointed out that in September 2008, al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen attacked the U.S. Embassy with car bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. Ten people were killed in the attack. He also asked for an update on any potential transfers.”

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2385422/posts

Source: 9/11 Terror Detainees Face Trial in N.Y.
(AP) via FOXNEWS.com ^ | Friday, November 13, 2009 | n/a
Posted on November 13, 2009 3:48:30 AM PST by Cindy

Source: 9/11 Terror Detainees Face Trial in N.Y. Friday, November 13, 2009

WASHINGTON — Self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be sent to New York to face trial in a civilian federal court, an Obama administration official said Friday.

The official said Attorney General Eric Holder plans to announce the decision later in the morning.

The official is not authorized to discuss the decision before the announcement, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/khadr/index

Thanks to fanfan for the ping to this thread.

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385818/posts

Canada seeks not to repatriate Guantanamo inmate
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 11/13/09 | Randall Palmer
Posted on November 13, 2009 12:35:38 PM PST by NormsRevenge

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian courts grossly overreached when they ordered Ottawa to ask Washington to send a Canadian held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison back to Canada, a federal lawyer argued on Friday.

The government wants the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn lower court decisions that it had to ask the Obama administration to repatriate Omar Khadr, accused of killing a U.S. soldier during a firefight in Afghanistan.

The court heard oral arguments on Friday, and Khadr’s legal team asked it to give a speedy ruling.

The case coincided with an announcement from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that Khadr was one of 10 Guantanamo inmates — among 215 held there now — against whom prosecutions would proceed.

Khadr’s lawyers say Ottawa violated Khadr’s rights in refusing to ask the United States to send him home. Canada said the courts could not dictate how it conducted foreign affairs.

“The courts have no more authority to order the government to request (Khadr’s) repatriation than they have the power to order the government to recall the U.S. ambassador in protest or to order the government to amass our warships on the Baltic,” federal lawyer Robert Frater told the court.

Two successive Canadian governments have declined to seek the repatriation of Khadr, now the last citizen of a western nation held at Guantanamo.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400021/posts

Former Guantanamo detainee now al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula’s Mufti
LONG WAR JOURNAL.org ^ | December 3, 2009 11:02 PM | By THOMAS JOSCELYN
Posted on December 4, 2009 2:03:49 AM PST by Cindy

Note: Photo included.

SNIPPET: “A former Guantanamo detainee has emerged as a leading ideologue and theologian for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – one of the strongest al Qaeda affiliates in the world.

Ibrahim Suleiman al Rubaish was captured by Pakistani authorities in late 2001 and then handed over to American officials who transferred him to Guantanamo. Rubaish was held there until Dec. 13, 2006, when he was transferred to Saudi Arabia and placed in the Saudi rehabilitation program for jihadists. At some point, Rubaish escaped from Saudi Arabia by fleeing south to Yemen.

In February 2009, the Saudi Kingdom placed Rubaish, along with at least 10 other former Gitmo detainees, on its list of 85 most-wanted terrorists.

One of the former Gitmo detainees Rubaish fled to Yemen with, Said Ali al Shihri, is now the deputy of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which was formed when the al Qaeda branches in Yemen and Saudi Arabia merged.

Two other former Gitmo detainees who fled to Yemen along with Rubaish have been killed in shootouts. [See LWJ reports “Former Gitmo detainee killed in shootout” and “Another former Gitmo detainee killed in shootout.”]”

SNIPPET: “Rubaish was released from Guantanamo and returned to jihad in short order. His proclamations are now recorded and published by al Qaeda’s multimedia operation and various other jihadist web sites.

Rubaish’s words are routinely used as propaganda to inspire would-be al Qaeda members to follow the path of jihad.”

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/12/former_guantanamo_de_1.php
(Excerpt) Read more at longwarjournal.org ...

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2402645/posts

Al-Qaida Confirms “Martyrdom” of Former Guantanamo Detainee in Yemen
COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG.org ^ | December 6, 2009 | By Evan Kohlmann
Posted on December 7, 2009 10:38:26 PM PST by Cindy

SNIPPET: “Al-Qaida’s network in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen) has released the audio-recorded wills of two mujahideen operatives who were recently “martyred” in clashes with local security forces — including former Guantanamo Bay detainee #114 Yusuf Muhammad Mubarak al-Jebairy al-Shehri. The younger brother of a senior Al-Qaida member, al-Shehri first left his home in Saudi Arabia in mid-2001 in order to wage jihad alongside the Taliban because he “thought that participating in jihad with the Taliban was the right thing to do... the Taliban were good Muslims.” In the midst of fleeing the crumbling Taliban frontline in late 2001, Yusuf al-Shehri was captured and sent as an Al-Qaida detainee to Guantanamo Bay.”

(Excerpt) Read more at counterterrorismblog.org ...

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404255/posts

United States Transfers One Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Kuwait
US DOJ.gov - Justice.gov ^ | December 9, 2009 | n/a
Posted on December 9, 2009 6:24:12 PM PST by Cindy

Note: The following text is a quote:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

United States Transfers One Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Kuwait

Fouad Mahmoud al-Rabiah, a Kuwaiti national, has been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the government of Kuwait.

As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of this case. As a result of that review, the detainee was approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer the detainee at least 15 days before his transfer.

On Sept. 17, 2009, a federal court ruled that al-Rabiah may no longer be detained under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force and ordered the government to release him from detention at Guantanamo Bay.

This transfer was carried out under an arrangement between the United States and the government of Kuwait. The United States will continue to consult with the government of Kuwait regarding this individual.

Since 2002, more than 550 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

ADDING to post no. 187:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800898.html

“Six Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo Bay to be repatriated”

By Peter Finn, Sudarsan Raghavan and Julie Tate
Friday, December 18, 2009; 5:04 AM

SNIPPET: “The Obama administration is planning to repatriate six Yemenis held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a transfer that could be a prelude to the release of dozens more detainees to Yemen, according to sources with independent knowledge of the matter.

The release is a significant first step toward dealing with the largest group of detainees at the prison — there are currently 97 Yemenis there — and toward meeting President Obama’s goal of closing the facility.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411220/posts

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574599963075871306.html

“Guantanamo North, and East
Al Qaeda detainees move to Illinois and Yemen.”
(December 19, 2009)

SNIPPET: “President Obama’s scramble to close Guantanamo is picking up speed as his arbitrary one-year deadline approaches, with Yemen and Illinois as the latest detainee destinations. Neither decision will enhance U.S. security.

The government of Yemen announced yesterday that it will take six detainees, and more could follow if this transfer goes smoothly. Yemenis account for 97 of the 210 men still left at Gitmo, and 34 have been cleared for release. The problem is that Yemen is emerging as one of the world’s sanctuaries for al Qaeda, and its government has essentially run a nonaggression pact with the terrorists.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-ag-1369.html

Note: The following text is a quote:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASES

Sunday, December 20, 2009

United States Transfers 12 Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Afghanistan, Yemen and the Somaliland Region

Twelve detainees have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Afghanistan, Yemen and the Somaliland region.

As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including potential threat, mitigation measures and the likelihood of success in habeas litigation, the detainees were approved for transfer. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer the detainees at least 15 days before their transfer.

Over the weekend, four Afghan detainees, Abdul Hafiz, Sharifullah, Mohamed Rahim and Mohammed Hashim, were transferred to the Government of Afghanistan. In addition, two Somali detainees, Mohammed Soliman Barre and Ismael Arale, were transferred to regional authorities in Somaliland. Finally, six Yemeni detainees, Jamal Muhammad Alawi Mari, Farouq Ali Ahmed, Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi, Muhammaed Yasir Ahmed Taher, Fayad Yahya Ahmed al Rami and Riyad Atiq Ali Abdu al Haf, were transferred to the Government of Yemen.

These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and relevant foreign authorities to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures. Consultations with foreign authorities regarding these individuals will continue.

Since 2002, more than 560 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

Current Link Set:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415490/posts?page=139#139

Background Link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415490/posts

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2416643/posts

Oops! Freed Gitmo alumni plotted airline bombing.
Wahington Examiner ^ | 12/28/09 | David Freddoso
Posted on December 28, 2009 5:24:46 PM PST by Nachum

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an “art therapy rehabilitation program” and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.

Gee, who would have expected “art therapy” to fail on terrorists?

140 posted on December 28, 2009 5:30:52 PM PST by Cindy

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/men-believed-northwest-airlines-plot-set-free/story?id=9434065

“Two al Qaeda Leaders Behind Northwest Flight 253 Terror Plot Were Released by U.S.
Former Guantanamo Prisoners Believed Behind Northwest Airlines Bomb Plot; Sent to Saudi Arabia in 2007”
By BRIAN ROSS, ANNA SCHECTER and JOSEPH RHEE
Dec. 28, 2009

SNIPPET: “Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.”

SNIPPET: “Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi.”

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