Casio F91W

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Casio F91W -- a model of watch that U.S. intelligence officials tie to terrorism

The Casio F91W is an inexpensive model of digital watch, manufactured by the Japanese firm Casio. It has a daily alarm and a 1/100 second stopwatch.

Since the watch was introduced it has only been updated once. The change was to the backlight which went from the standard light in older watches to the blue 'micro-light' seen in most of today watches.

The watch is controlled by three pushbuttons. The upper left button turns on the backlight, cancels the alarm, and is used for selecting settings. The lower left button cycles the modes of the watch: → Alarm → Stopwatch → Time adjustment and back to the normal time display. The button on the right is the function button: it starts and stops the stopwatch, and changes the settings currently being adjusted. The watch's display shows the day of the week, day of the month, hour, minutes, seconds, and the signs for PM (or 24-hour clock), alarm signal, and hourly signal.

In stopwatch mode, minutes, seconds and one-hundredths of a second are shown and a LAP feature (temporary pause) is available.

This watch is widely available through the world in various packaging, including a version with a 'chrome' case and strap available in the USA at Fry's and other outlets.

[edit] Claimed use in terrorism

This model of watch is notable because United States intelligence officials have identified it as the watch that terrorists use when constructing time bombs.^[1] Ahmed Ressam, the millennial bomber, bought two Casio F91W,^[2]

When the Department of Defense was forced to comply with US District Court justice Jed Rakoff's court order to release the documents from Guantanamo detainees' Combatant Status Review Tribunals it became known that the allegations against approximately one dozen of the Guantanamo detainees justified their continued detention because they had been wearing this model of watch, when captured.^[3]

Casio officials declined to be interviewed about the U.S. intelligence accusations.^[2] But Casio did issue a statement, where they said the watch "has no exclusive technology," and, "Casio continues to work closely with all government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security to help limit any potential threats and deal with security concerns."

Detainees who testified to their surprise and confusion over this allegation have described their watches, and those descriptions have not matched the description of the F91W. Their descriptions have mentioned built-in compasses and calculators -- features the F91W lacks.

[edit] Detainees whose continued detention was justified by their ownership of a Casio watch

Mohammed Ahmad Said Al Edah	Al Edah was alleged to have been wearing a Casio 195W, "the silver version of the F91W".^[4] Al Edah's Personal Representative challenged the logic behind linking ownership of a popular watch to membership in a terrorist organization.
Abdullah Kamel Abdullah Kamel Al Kandari	Told his Tribunal he had no idea that the watch was associated with terrorism^[5]^[6] Told his Tribunal that the four Muslim chaplains at Guantanamo all wore this model of watch.^[7] Described the features of his watch that signal the call to prayers to a devout Muslim.^[8] Told his Tribunal if he had known Casio watches were tied to terrorism: "If I had known that, I would have thrown (the watch) away."^[9]
Abdelaziz Kareem Salim al-Noofayee	Told his Tribunal: "The guards here wear the same Casio watch I did. The watch I was wearing looked like the same one the guards wear here. Does that mean they're al-Qaeda members?"^[10]^[11]
Hani Abdul Muslih al Shulan	Captured wearing an F91W.^[12]
Sabri Mohammed Ebrahim	Told his Tribunal "All I know about the watch is that it is a Casio... I know it has a compass. When we pray we have to face Mecca"^[13]
Usama Hassan Ahmend Abu Kabir	Told his Tribunal, "I have a Casio watch due to the fact that they are inexpensive and they last a long time. I like my watch because it is durable. It had a calculator and was waterproof, and before prayers we have to wash up all the way to my elbows."^[14]
Abdul Matin	Told his tribunal: "This watch is not from al-Qaida, it's not used for a bomb, This is just a regular watch. All older, younger men and women use this watch everywhere."^[14]
Mazin Salih Musaid	Musaid pointed out to his Tribunal: "Millions and millions of people have these types of Casio watches."^[14]
Salih Uyar	Told his Tribunal, "If it's a crime to carry this watch? Your own military personnel also carry this watch, too, Does that mean that they're just terrorists as well?"^[15]^[16]
Mosa Zi Zemmori	Ownership of a Casio watch was listed as one of the factors in favor of his continued detention.^[17]
Mesut Sen	Ownership of a Casio watch was listed as one of the factors in favor of his continued detention.^[18]
Abdul Rahman Abdul Abu Ghiyth Sulayman	Captured wearing a Casio F91W.^[19]
Ahmed Yaslam Said Kuman	Ownership of a Casio watch was listed as one of the factors in favor of his continued detention.^[20]
Tariq Shallah Hasan Al Alawi Al Harbi	Ownership of a Casio watch was listed as one of the factors in favor of his continued detention.^[21]
Fadil Husayn Salih Hintif	"The detainee was captured while in possession of a Casio watch model that has been used in bombings linked to al Qaida and radical Islamic terrorist groups with improvised explosive devices.^[22]"
Muhammad Abd Allah Mansur Al Futuri	"The detainee was in possession of a wristwatch, the type used in improvised explosive device bombings linked to al Qaida and radical Islamic terrorists.^[23]"
Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarem Jarabh	"The detainee was in possession of a watch type* that has been used in bombing linked to radical terrorist improvised explosive devices.^[24]"*