Mohammed al-Asadi

Born on July 1, 1979 in Sana'a, Yemen, Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi was a prisoner held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba.^[1] Al Asadi's Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 198.

He was accused of traveling to Afghanistan, with the aid of the country's government, in March 2001 to help quell the tribal wars that were ongoing. He was billeted at the Embassy in Pakistan, and given training at the Omar Sa'if Center where he served as a guard.

He was one of dozens of detainees whose detention in the camps was partially justified by the allegation that they had owned a Casio F91W wristwatch, which American intelligence asserted could be used in the manufacture of explosives. He was eventually cleared to be released, in 2005.

Mohammed Ahmed Ali al Asadi was repatriated to Yemen without ever been charged on December 15, 2006.^[2]

Repatriation and release

Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, demanded the release of the remaining Yemenis held in Guantanamo on December 23, 2006.^[3] The Yemen Observer identified Al Asadi, Esam Hamid al-Jaefi and Ali Hussain al-Tais as three of the six Yemeni who had been repatriated the previous week.

Al Asadi said he was the first of the six men to be released because there were no charges or evidence against him.^[4] Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said the men would be released as soon as Yemeni authorities had cleared them. Al Asadi was asked to sign an undertaking promising to refrain from armed activity. Al Asadi announced: "Now, I'm going to start a normal life, to find a job, to get married, and generally settle down,"

Reports of a new hunger strike

Asadi reported that the Guantanamo captives had initiated a new hunger strike in early December 2006.^[5][6] According to the Gulf News Asadi listed the following triggers for the hunger strike:

• "The brothers in Guantanamo detention have agreed to hold this hunger strike mainly because of harassment while praying or while reading the Quran."
• "The soldiers interrupt the brothers from time to time even while praying, they inspect the Quran, they inspect their private organs, only to create psychological pressure on them,"
• "They take the blankets at dawn when it's extremely cold."

References

1. ^ OARDEC (2006-05-15). "List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through May 15, 2006". United States Department of Defense. http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-29. 
2. ^ "Mohammed Ahmed Ali al Asadi – The Guantánamo Docket". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/198-mohammed-ahmed-ali-al-asadi. Retrieved 12 January 2010. 
3. ^ Nasser Arrabyee (December 23, 2006). "Saleh demands release of Guantanamo detainees". Yemen Observer. http://www.yobserver.com/article-11423.php. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
4. ^ Nasser Arrabyee (December 29, 2006). "Guantanamo detainee released". Gulf News. http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/12/29/10092755.html. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
5. ^ Nasser Arrabyee (January 8, 2007). "Guantanamo detainees protest harassment during prayers". Gulf News. http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Yemen/10095351.html. Retrieved 2007-01-07. 
6. ^ Nasser Arrabyee (January 9, 2007). "Abused in Guantanamo". Yemen Observer. http://www.yobserver.com/front-page/10011479.html. Retrieved 2007-01-09. 

External links

• The Guantánamo Files: Website Extras (5) – Escape to Pakistan (The Yemenis) Andy Worthington