Thirteen years at guantanamo over a mistaken identity. How are guantanamo detainees approved for transfer out of the prison, and what does that process involve. In the spring of 2016, i asked a student of mine to do me a favor and figure out which day would be the 100th before barack obamas presidency ended. The guantanamo parole board approved the release of a yemeni forever prisoner, dismissing intelligence that imprisoned the man for years without trial. Slahi told npr that in guantanamo, i was at peace in my heart at that time. Jan 21, 2016 the pentagon has approved the release of a prisoner who was held at the guantanamo bay facility for years due a case of mistaken identity. Mustafa alaziz alshamiri was suspected of being a significant.
Guantanamo bay prisoner victim of mistaken identity, says. The flawed guantanamo assessment files human rights first. Now, desiring after years to reduce the prison population at gitmo, the department of defense says alshamiris imprisonment was all a simply mistake of confused identity. A case of mistaken identity resulted in omar deghayes being held in guantanamo for almost 6 years, where he was brutally tortured despite not being charged with a crime.
Dec 17, 2015 the last publicly available report, the february 2008 assessment from joint task force guantanamo jtfgtmo, makes no mention of any mistaken identity. Guantanamo bay prisoner of years was victim of mistaken. Circuit judges brett kavanaugh, harry edwards and stephen williams. Dec 06, 2015 after years in gitmo, pentagon says detainee is case of mistaken identity peter van buren posted on december 6, 2015 mustafa abdalqawi abdalaziz alshamiri was captured in 2002 and believed then to be a major al qaeda facilitator or courier, or maybe a trainer, according to the department of defense. After years in gitmo, pentagon says detainee is case of. Oct 09, 2016 beatings, sleep deprivation, menacing and other brutal tactics have led to persistent mental health problems among detainees held in secret c. A man held for years at guantanamo bay appears to have been a victim of mistaken identity, as us officials admitted they had confused him. The subject matter of this book is imperative, being the first of its kind to collate and describe accounts from the prisoners themselves and pitting them against the purported reasons for their incarceration without charge or trial moazzam begg, former guantanamo detainee and spokesman for. Aug 12, 2018 a guantanamo guard and his detainee reunite former guantanamo guard steve wood recently took a trip to mauritania to visit mohamedou ould slahi, the prisoner he watched for almost a year. In her crisp, poignant narrative she has displayed her journalistic craftsmanship in giving us a story of an individual caught in the upheavals of modernday politics wars central to the 911, 2001 attack. Victims of mistaken identity among the 10 sent from guantanamo to. The department of defense reports that al shamyri was born on july 7, 1978, in sanaa, yemen he was transferred to oman with nine other men, on january 16, 2017. Former guantanamo guard steve wood, right, flew to mauritania this spring to visit mohamedou ould slahi the detainee he once spent his days guarding. The case for closing and keeping open guantanamo kpbs.
This brief outlines how the current mechanisms work and how they differ from those used by the previous administration. Mar 18, 2015 guantanamo diary is the first account written and published by a stillimprisoned guantanamo inmate. Mistaken identity keeps detainee at guantanamo bay cnnpolitics. The backlash in the muslim world and not only there will be intense and long. Canada will issue an apology and compensation to former guantanamo bay detainee omar khadr for abuses he suffered while in. Alshamiris case also raises questions about how unique his circumstances are. Man held at guantanamo for years in case of mistaken identity, u. A guantanamo guard and his detainee reunite former guantanamo guard steve wood recently took a trip to mauritania to visit mohamedou ould slahi, the prisoner he watched for almost a. May 15, 20 a case of mistaken identity resulted in omar deghayes being held in guantanamo for almost 6 years, where he was brutally tortured despite not being charged with a crime. The analogy with children is not too far wrong, for all of these poets by necessity have been.
Omar deghayes born november 28, 1969 is a libyan citizen who had legal residency status with surviving members of his family in the united kingdom since childhood. Jan 27, 2016 this story makes me so angry that i cant even come up with my usual snarky introduction. Guantanamo bay prisoner victim of mistaken identity, says us. A kuwaiti man was released wednesday after being held for nearly years without trial at the military prison at guantanamo bay 37yearold fawzi al odah is the first detainee to go home after. Dec 02, 2015 gitmo detainee held for years is victim of mistaken identity, says us december 2, 2015 7. This story makes me so angry that i cant even come up with my usual snarky introduction. The big surprise about the prisoner mohamedou ould slahis book guantanamo diary is that, in addition to being appalling and sad, its funny. A man who has spent years in the us prison camp at guantanamo bay, cuba, was arrested partly in a case of mistaken identity, us officials conceded tuesday.
The board also noted the detainees candid responses to the boards questions, to include recognition of his past activities, clear indications of a change in the detainees mindset. Mistaken identity keeps detainee at guantanamo bay cnn. Mar 11, 2017 zahir was not the only guantanamo detainee detained because of a mistaken identity. It examines the types of detainees who are approved for transfer, including those who were previously erroneously assessed to pose more of a threat than they actually do.
Guantanamo s child is a sweeping narrative that reconstructs the life of omar khadr, from his childhood spent traveling between a canadian suburb and peshawar at the height of the jihad against the soviets, and into afghanistan and the homes of osama bin laden and al qaedas elite. Slahi finished writing the book in 2005, but it took six years and a. Former detainee talks of desperation in guantanamo bay. An excerpt from a newly released memoir detailing the horrors of being a guantanamo detainee. Man held at guantanamo for years case of mistaken identity, us. Mustafa abdul qawi abdul aziz al shamyri is a citizen of yemen held in extrajudicial detention in the united states guantanamo bay detainment camps, in cuba. Guantanamo prisoner held for years on mistaken identity. Tortured and wrongly held at guantanamo for 14 years, abdul. Based on extensive research and interviews with those connected. Dec 02, 2015 a guantanamo bay prisoner locked up for years who was thought to be a member of alqaeda is found to be a victim of mistaken identity.
Beatings, sleep deprivation, menacing and other brutal tactics have led to persistent mental health problems among detainees held in secret c. Dec 02, 2015 thirteen years at guantanamo over a mistaken identity. In fact, another guantanamo detainee among those released to oman yemeni mustafa al shamiri was also mistaken for another man with a similar name. Glenn greenwald kicks off the show with a vaguely hysterical warning about the future of our. The department of defense identifies the 10 captives sent to oman on martin luther king jr. Adam chandler is a former staff writer at the atlantic. Photo by norberto duarte afpgetty images general john kelly opposes the. Man held at guantanamo for years case of mistaken identity, us admits mustafa alaziz alshamiri, 37, was a lowlevel islamist foot soldier and not an. Mustafa al shamiri, 37, had been detained under the pretenses of being a senior alqaeda trainer in afghanistan. Mustafa alaziz alshamiri wrongly held at guantanamo bay for. Gitmo detainee held for years is victim of mistaken identity, says us december 2, 2015 7. These assessments are now being cited by lawmakers, the media, and commentators as fact, and used to criticize the release of any detainee cleared for transfer. Salahi also had books, a television, a playstation, and an old laptop, on. Exguantanamo detainee omar khadr to get apology and pay.
Man held at guantanamo for years case of mistaken identity, us admits mustafa alaziz alshamiri, 37, was a lowlevel islamist foot soldier and not an alqaeda courier and trainer, whose name. Gitmo prisoner is victim of mistaken identity al jazeera. Dec 02, 2015 a yemeni prisoner held at the us base at guantanamo bay for more than years appears to have been the victim of mistaken identity. Like every guantanamo detainee, zahir was tortured. Despite us admissions that it tortured people after 911, little has been heard from the victims themselves.
Man held at guantanamo for years a case of mistaken. Victims of mistaken identity among the 10 sent from. Mitchelle sheppards guantanamos child is a powerful read you dont want to miss. Karen greenberg, director of the center on national security, wrote an oped on the fate of the prisoners detained in guantanamo bay. A case of mistaken identity has kept one man locked away at the u. Oral argument on the merits is scheduled for september 27, 20 before d. Mistaken identity keeps detainee at guantanamo bay. Officials admit a mistaken identity case at guantanamo bay.
When wood tried to search for 760 in guantanamos detainee database, he found nothing. The department of defense says that a case of mistaken identity has kept mustafa abdalqawi abdalaziz alshamiri locked away at the u. Omar deghayes is one of hundreds of former detainees who have been released from the u. Dec 02, 2015 man held at guantanamo for years case of mistaken identity, us admits mustafa alaziz alshamiri, 37, was a lowlevel islamist foot soldier and not an alqaeda courier and trainer, whose name. A yemeni prisoner held at the us base at guantanamo bay for more than years appears to have been the victim of mistaken identity. A guantanamo bay prisoner locked up for years who was thought to be a member of alqaeda is found to be a victim of mistaken identity.
The last new detainee had been brought there in 2008, during the waning days of the presidency of george w. Man held at guantanamo for years a case of mistaken identity. The militant, said ali alshihri, was released to saudi arabia in 2007 and is suspected of involvement in the bombing of the united states embassy in. Now, the new administration has reportedly identified its first potential new detainee in nine years. Photo by norberto duarte afpgetty images general john kelly opposes the closure. Guantanamo diary detainee makes the case for his release. In his years as a detainee, he went on three hunger. Shaun curryafpgetty images the facilities they live in today are pretty. Slahi finished writing the book in 2005, but it took six years and a team of lawyers to obtain. Former guantanamo bay detainee omar deghayes says his 5year imprisonment started as a case of mistaken identity. The pentagon has approved the release of a prisoner who was held at the guantanamo bay facility for years due a case of mistaken identity. In her crisp, poignant narrative she has displayed her journalistic craftsmanship in giving us a story of an individual caught in the upheavals of modernday politics. From inside guantanamo bay, diary of a detainee al jazeera.
Dec 02, 2015 the department of defense says that a case of mistaken identity has kept mustafa abdalqawi abdalaziz alshamiri locked away at the u. Guantanamo detainee who wrote a book about his torture to be. The risks of releasing detainees the new york times. Man held at guantanamo for years case of mistaken. Jul 20, 2016 the board also noted the detainees candid responses to the boards questions, to include recognition of his past activities, clear indications of a change in the detainees mindset. Updated for the seventh time between september and november 2018 with this first part updated on september 11, 2018, the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that led, four months later, to the profoundly illadvised opening of the prison at guantanamo bay, this definitive guantanamo prisoner list was first published in march 2009, and subsequently updated from four parts to six see. Zahir was not the only guantanamo detainee detained because of a mistaken identity. And if that level of evil and scorn for justice doesnt radicalize continue reading guantanamo parole board clears victim. Guantanamo bay detainee is case of mistaken identity. Jun 02, 2016 slahi, a slender, cleanshaven 45yearold mauritanian, sat quietly behind a sign identifying him as detainee, dressed in a shortsleeved white shirt and glasses, his arms folded on the. The last publicly available report, the february 2008 assessment from joint task force guantanamo jtfgtmo, makes no mention of any mistaken identity. Dec 01, 2015 a man who has spent years in the us prison camp at guantanamo bay, cuba, was arrested partly in a case of mistaken identity, us officials conceded on tuesday officials admitted that mustafa.
Feds say guantanamo detainee was victim of mistaken identity. Of the roughly 780 people who have been detained at the united states military prison at guantanamo bay, cuba, 731 have been transferred and 40 remain. After years in gitmo, pentagon says detainee is case of mistaken identity peter van buren posted on december 6, 2015 mustafa abdalqawi abdalaziz alshamiri was captured in 2002 and believed then to be a major al qaeda facilitator or courier, or maybe a trainer, according to the department of defense. Mustafa alaziz alshamiri was lowlevel islamist foot soldier, not alqaida courier and trainer as had been believed. In 2011, wikileaks released more than 750 assessments of detainees at the guantanamo bay detention facility done by joint task force guantanamo jtfgtmo, the military task force responsible for operating the remote prison. The department of defense reports that al shamyri was born on july 7, 1978, in sanaa, yemen. Guantanamos child is a sweeping narrative that reconstructs the life of omar khadr, from his childhood spent traveling between a canadian suburb and peshawar at the height of the jihad against the soviets, and into afghanistan and the homes of osama bin laden and al qaedas elite. Officials admit a mistaken identity case at guantanamo. Guantanamo detainee who wrote a book about his torture to.