Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi

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Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi
Born July 1, 1979 (1979-07-01) (age 44)
Sana'a, Yemen
Citizenship Yemen

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]

Combatant Status Review

Template:CSRT-Yes[3][4]

  1. The detainee traveled to Afghanistan in March 2001 to fight the jihad.
  2. The detainee stayed at Taliban safe houses.
  3. The detainee's travel to Afghanistan was arranged by the Taliban.
  4. The detainee stayed at the Taliban embassy in Pakistan.
  5. The detainee was issued a Kalashnikov at the "AMR" center.
  6. The detainee was a guard at the "AMR" center for the Taliban.
  7. The detainee was in Afghanistan during the U.S. bombing campaign.
  8. The detainee fled to the Tora Bora Mountains in December 2001.
  9. The detainee, along with a large group of Arabs who had fled Afghanistan, was arrested by the police in Pakistan.

Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al-Asadi v. George W. Bush

A writ of habeas corpus, Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al-Asadi v. George W. Bush, was submitted on Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al-Asadi's behalf, on 11 October 2006.[5] In response, on 11 October 2006, the Department of Defense released 21 pages of unclassified documents related to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Administrative Review Board hearing

Casio F91W - an inexpensive quartz digital watch

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.

Summary of Evidence memo

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi's Administrative Review Board, on 19 April 2005.[6] The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.

The following primary factors favor continued detention:

a. Commitment
  1. The detainee traveled to Afghanistan in March 2001 to fight the Jihad.
  2. The detainee was a guard at the "AMR" Center for the Taliban.
  3. There were six rooms at the AMR Center House. One of the rooms was used exclusively for weapons storage.
  4. The detainee was in Afghanistan during the U.S. bombing campaign.
  5. For about a month and a half, the detainee fought with a group, consisting mostly of Pakistanis, that was associated with the Taliban.
b. Connection/Associations
  1. The detainee stayed at Taliban safe houses.
  2. The detainee's travel to Afghanistan was arranged by the Taliban.
  3. While at the Taliban embassy in Pakistan the detainee told Taliban officials that he was there for the Jihad.
  4. The detainee's immediate supervisor worked for Salam.
  5. Salam was one of the leaders at the Kabul front during the fighting with the Northern Alliance. Salam was also in charge of mine clearing operations.
c. Intent
The detainee was issued a Kalashnikov at the "AMR" center.
d. Other Relevant Data
  1. The detainee, along with a large group of Arabs who had fled Afghanistan, was arrested by the police in Pakistan.
  2. The detainee admits he had handled weapons and was experienced with a Kalashnikov.
  3. During capture, the detainee had in his possession a Casio F-91W Watch.
  4. The Casio F-91 W has been used in bombings that have been linked to al Qaida and radical Islamic terrorist improvised explosive devices.

The following primary factor favor release or transfer:

The detainee denied being a member of al Qaida. The detainee claimed not to know that the Taliban were fighting against the Northern Alliance/Americans. The detainee also claimed not to know what a Taliban was prior to his capture.

Transcript

A two-page transcript of Al Asadi's Administrative Review Board hearing was released.[7] The transcript doesn't explicitly say that Al Asadi chose not to attend his hearing. It does say that Al Asadi had worked with his Assisting Military Officer to prepare a statement for his Board. Al Asadi's statement was not released with the transcript of his hearing.

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.[8][9] The Board's recommendation was unanimous The Board's recommendation was redacted. England authorized his release on August 5, 2005.

Repatriation and release

Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, demanded the release of the remaining Yemenis held in Guantanamo on December 23, 2006.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12][13] 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. Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - pages 23-28
  4. OARDEC (7 October 2004). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- Al Asadi, Mohammed Ahmed Ali". United States Department of Defense. pp. page 11. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/000201-000299.pdf#11. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  5. "Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al-Asadi v. George W. Bush". United States Department of Defense. 11 October 2006. pp. pages 48–68. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/publicly_filed_CSRT_records_1166-1233.pdf#48. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  6. OARDEC (19 April 2005). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Al Asadi, Mohammed Ahmed Ali". United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 79–80. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/publicly_filed_CSRT_records_1089-1165.pdf#79. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  7. Summarized transcript (.pdf), from Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Asadi's Administrative Review Board hearing - pages 199-200
  8. OARDEC (August 5, 2005). "Administrative Review Board assessment and recommendation ICO ISN 198". United States Department of Defense. pp. page 82. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/ARB_Round_1_Decision_memos_000096-000195.pdf#82. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  9. OARDEC (April 22, 2005). "Classified Record of Proceedings and basis of Administrative Review Board recommendation for ISN 198". United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 83. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/ARB_Round_1_Decision_memos_000096-000195.pdf#83. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
  10. Nasser Arrabyee (December 23, 2006). "Saleh demands release of Guantanamo detainees". Yemen Observer. http://www.yobserver.com/article-11423.php. Retrieved 2006-12-29. [dead link]
  11. Nasser Arrabyee (December 29, 2006). "Guantanamo detainee released". Gulf News. http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/12/29/10092755.html. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
  12. 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. 
  13. Nasser Arrabyee (January 9, 2007). "Abused in Guantanamo". Yemen Observer. http://www.yobserver.com/front-page/10011479.html. Retrieved 2007-01-09.