Abdullah Hamid Mohammed Al-Qahtani

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For other individuals named Al Qahtani, or some variant thereof, see Al Qahtani (disambiguation).

Abdullah Hamid Mohammed Al-Qahtani (Arabic: عبد الله حامد القحطاني) is a Saudi Arabian citizen who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba.[1] His detainee ID is 652. US intelligence analysts estimate he was born in 1979, in Mecca.

Contents

[edit] Identity

The official documents from the US Department of Defense, and from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC transliterate Al Otaibi's name differently:

  • His name was transliterated as Abdullah Hamid Al Qahtani on the official lists of names released by the US Department of Defense.[2]
  • His name was transliterated as Abdullah Hamid Mohammed Al-Qahtan on the press releases from Saudi officials, when he was repatriated on May 19, 2006.[3]
  • His name was transliterated as Abdullah Al Quatany on the official list of captives whose habeas corpus petitions should be dismissed following their transfer from US custody.[4]
  • His name was transliterated as Abdullah Hamid Musleh Qahtany on the official list of captives whose habeas corpus petitions should be dismissed following their transfer from US custody.[4]

[edit] Combatant Status Review Tribunal

Combatant Status Review Tribunal notice read to a Guantanamo captive.
Combatant Status Review Tribunal notice read to a Guantanamo captive.

Initially the Bush administration asserted that they could withhold all the protections of the Geneva Conventions to captives from the war on terror. This policy was challenged before the Judicial branch. Critics argued that the USA could not evade its obligation to conduct a competent tribunals to determine whether captives are, or are not, entitled to the protections of prisoner of war status.

Subsequently the Department of Defense instituted the Combatant Status Review Tribunals. The Tribunals, however, were not authorized to determine whether the captives were lawful combatants -- rather they were merely empowered to make a recommendation as to whether the captive had previously been correctly determined to match the Bush administration's definition of an enemy combatant.

[edit] Summary of Evidence memo

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Abdullah Hamid Al Qahtani's Combatant Status Review Tribunal, on 14 October 2004.[5] The memo listed the following allegations against him:

The detainee is associated with al Qaida:
  1. The detainee departed Saudi Arabia in February 2001 and arrived in Afghanistan in August 2001 via Pakistan.
  2. The detainee worked for al Wafa in its offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  3. Al Wafa is listed on the U.S. State Department's Terrorist Exclusion list, which identifies it as an organization that has been found to either commit, or incite to commit, a terrorist activity; prepare or plan a terrorist activity; gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity; or provide material support to further terrorist activity.
  4. While working for al Wafa, the detainee came in contact with one of the leaders of the al Wafa organization.
  5. This individual has close ties to al Qaida and Usama Bin Laden.
  6. The detainee worked for the Al Wafa organization.

[edit] Administrative Review Board hearing

Hearing room where Guantanamo captive's annual Administrative Review Board hearings convened for captives whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal had already determined they were an "enemy combatant".
Hearing room where Guantanamo captive's annual Administrative Review Board hearings convened for captives whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal had already determined they were an "enemy combatant".[6]

Detainees who were determined to have been properly classified as "enemy combatants" were scheduled to have their dossier reviewed at annual Administrative Review Board hearings. The Administrative Review Boards weren't authorized to review whether a detainee qualified for POW status, and they weren't authorized to review whether a detainee should have been classified as an "enemy combatant".

They were authorized to consider whether a detainee should continue to be detained by the United States, because they continued to pose a threat -- or whether they could safely be repatriated to the custody of their home country, or whether they could be set free.

[edit] Summary of Evidence memo

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Abdullah Hamid Al Qahtani's Administrative Review Board, on 3 June 2005.[7] The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.

[edit] The following primary factors favor continued detention:

a. Commitment
  1. The detainee departed Saudi Arabia in February 2001 and arrived in Afghanistan in August 2001 via Pakistan.
  2. Prior to being turned over to U.S. forces, the detainee had $5000 in his possession. The detainee claims that the Afghan troops, which beat him and his cousin, seized $3000 and did not find the other $2000 hidden in his clothes.
b. Connections/Associations
  1. The detainee worked for al Wafa in its offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  2. The detainee was recruited to work for al Wafa in Afghanistan by the leader of al Wafa.
  3. The same al Wafa leader who recruited the detainee paid for the detainee's travel to Pakistan.
  4. The same al Wafa leader who recruited the detainee and the detainee's father had been employed together in Saudi Arabia.
  5. The same al Wafa leader who recruited the detainee has close ties to Usama Bin Laden.
  6. Al Wafa is listed on the U.S. State Department's Terrorist Exclusion list, which identifies it as an organization that has been found to either commit, or incite to commit, a terrorist activity; prepare or plan a terrorist activity; gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity; or provide material support to further terrorist activity.
  7. Al Wafa activities in Afghanistan include the purchase of weapons and chemical warfare equipment, suspicious money transactions, providing a cover to smuggle Usama Bin Laden operatives and sympathizers to Afghanistan, knowledge of a possible pending attack against American interests, and providing employment opportunity and cover to Usama Bin Laden connecting operatives.
  8. In anticipation of the American attack, military training on AK-47's [sic] and rocket-propelled grenades was provided in al Wafa's Kabul offices.
  9. The detainee traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan with his cousin.
  10. The detainee and his cousin worked with Mohammed Afgha.
  11. Mohammed Agha was the liaison between the al Wafa Organization and the Taliban Government.
  12. The detainee's cousin has issued a Fatwah against the United States.
c. Other Relevant Data
  1. The detainee was offered $800 to $1,000 per month to work for al Wafa.
  2. Detainee claims his Afghan captors took his passport.
  3. Detainee had a roll of 20 $100 USD dollar bills when turned over to U.S. Forces.

[edit] The following primary factors favor release or transfer:

a.

The detainee said the only reason he went to Afghanistan was to pick up money owed to him by a senior al Wafa principal.
b.

During his employment at al Wafa, the detainee was never asked to nor did he handle weapons of any kind.
c.

The detainee had no knowledge that the employees at the Lahore of Kabul al Wafa warehouses were associated with al Qaida or the Taliban. He never observed weapons in the Lahore warehouse.
d.

The detainee has an extreme dislike of the Taliban and al Qaida. He believes they are the cause of his current detention, and that Usama Bin Laden is no different that [sic] a common criminal. The detainee would not consider supporting Usama Bin Laden or his distorted causes.
e.

Neither the detainee, nor anyone he knows, had prior knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks or knowledge of future attacks against the United States or its interests.
f.

The detainee does not blame the United States Government for detaining people as the result of the attacks on America. He is grateful toward the United States, which he believes saved his life after he was captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.
g.

The detainee intends to marry and seek employment upon his return to Saudi Arabia. He would not return to Pakistan or Afghanistan.

[edit] Transcript

Captive 652 did not attend his Board.[8] But he did meet with his Assisting Military Officer. His Assisting Military Officer summarized his responses to the factors to his Board. The Assisting Military Officer's report on his interview takes place during the Board's unclassified session. The Department of Defense has not indicated why they withheld the transcript from the Board's unclassified session.

[edit] Board recommendations

In early September 2007 the Department of Defense released two heavily redacted memos, from his Board, to Gordon England, the Designated Civilian Official.[9][8] Captive 652's Board's recommendation was unanimous. The redactions concealed the Board's recommendation.

Captive 652's Board's considered assessments from the FBI, the CIA, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs.

[edit] Repatriation

The Saudi embassy announced that a Saudi named Abdullah Hamid Mohammed Al-Qahtani was one of fifteen Guantanamo captives repatriated to Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2006.[3][10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ list of prisoners (.pdf), US Department of Defense, May 15, 2006
  2. ^ list of prisoners (.pdf), US Department of Defense, May 15, 2006
  3. ^ a b Saudi detainees at Guantanamo returned to the Kingdom; names given. Royal Saudi Embassy Washington DC (May 19, 2006). Retrieved on March 7, 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Exhibit B: List Of Enemy Combatant Detainees With Pending Habeas Corpus Petitions Who Have Been Released From United States Custody", United States Department of Justice, April 17, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-05-05. 
  5. ^ OARDEC (14 October 2004). Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- Al Qahtani, Abdullah Hamid page 19. United States Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  6. ^ Spc Timothy Book. "Review process unprecedented", JTF-GTMO Public Affairs Office, Friday March 10, 2006, pp. pg 1. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. 
  7. ^ OARDEC (3 June 2005). Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Al Qahtani, Abdullah Hamid pages 70-72. United States Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  8. ^ a b OARDEC (5 July 2005). Classified Record of Proceedings and basis of Administrative Review Board recommendation for ISN 652 pages 73-. United States Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
  9. ^ OARDEC (26 July 2005). Administrative Review Board assessment and recommendation ICO ISN 652 page 72. United States Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
  10. ^ Anant Raut, Jill M. Friedman (March 19, 2007). The Saudi Repatriates Report. Retrieved on April 21, 2007.