Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud

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Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud

Born:	1978 (age 29–30) (estimate) Sana'a, Saudi Arabia ^[sic]
Detained at:	Guantanamo
ID number:	170
Conviction(s):	no charge, held in extrajudicial detention

Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud is a citizen of Yemen, held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba.^[1] Masud's Guantantanmo detainee ID number is 170. Joint Task Force Guantanamo counter-terrorism analysts estimate Masud was born in 1978, in Sana'a, Saudi Arabia ^[sic] .

1 Combatant Status Review Tribunal
2 Administrative Review Board hearings
- 2.1 First annual Administrative Review Board
- 2.2 Second annual Administrative Review Board
3 References

[edit] Combatant Status Review Tribunal

Combatant Status Review Tribunals were held in a trailer the size of a large RV. The captive sat on a plastic garden chair, with his hands and feet shackled to a bolt in the floor.^[2]^[3] Three chairs were reserved for members of the press, but only 37 of the 574 Tribunals were observed.^[4]

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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 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 Tribunal. 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 Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud's Combatant Status Review Tribunal, on 6 October 2004.^[5] The memo listed the following allegations against him:

a. The detainee is associated with al Qaida.

In June 2001, detainee left Sana'a, Yemem ^[^sic] , and traveled to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the help of an Arabic speaking guide.
Detainee spent two months in various Arab houses in Afghanistan for religious training.
Detainee in September 2001 went to Kabul, Afghanistan for two weeks and then traveled to Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
In late December 2001, detainee and a group of Arabs fled Jalalabad with the help of an Afghan guide, reaching a small Pakastani ^[^sic] village where he surrendered to the Pakastani ^[^sic] Army.

[edit] Testimony

Masud did not chose to participate in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.^[6] But he dictated a statement, which his Personal Representative read on his behalf.

[edit] Masud's statement

Masud denied the general allegation that he was associated with al Qaida.

Masud denied the specific allegation about the purpose of his travel to Afghanistan. He traveled there for religious purposes. He pointed out that he traveled there prior to the attacks on America on September 11, 2001. He acknowledged visiting two or three places frequented by other Arabs -- but that was when he was newly arrived, and he was finding his bearings.

Masud acknowledged spending two months in the Kandahar area.

Masud acknowledged traveling to Kabul. He spent approximately two weeks in Kabul. He went there to compare different Islamic practices. He left because Afghans were reacting to the overthrow of the Taliban by trying to kill Arabs. A friendly Afghan taxi driver, who spoke Arabic, drove him to Jalalabad.

In Jalalabad he was told it wasn't safe for him to continue to travel by himself. So he joined a group of people traveling overland to the Pakistani border. Once he arrived in Pakistan he sought out the Pakistani authorities, so he could secure their help getting to the Yemeni embassy. But they transferred him the US custody instead. He had found the overland travel so grueling he had abandoned his bags, which contained his passport.

Masud's final comment was:

"All the rules in the United States and in the world, the person is innocent until you prove he is guilty not innocent. But, here with Americans, the detainees are guilty until proven innocent."

[edit] Administrative Review Board hearings

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".^[7]

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] First annual Administrative Review Board

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud's Administrative Review Board, on 1 July 2005.^[8] The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.

[edit] Second annual Administrative Review Board

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud's Administrative Review Board, on 12 April 2006.^[9] The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.