Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Former Gitmo detainee leading attack against Marines in Afghanistan

July 10, 2009

According to FOX, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Mullah Zakir (aka Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul) is leading the fight against the Marines’ Operation Khanjar in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. Zakir surrendered in Afghanistan in 2001 – was transferred to Gitmo in 2006 and then was released to Afghan custody 2007. Not sure what the “custody” entails because he was “released” from it in 2008. Shortly thereafter Taliban chief Mullah Omar appointed him as senior military commander.

Why was he released?

They quote an anonymous defense official:

We were under incredible pressure from the world to release detainees at Gitmo. You just don’t know what people are going to do.

He was no worse than anyone else being held at Guantanamo Bay. He was not going to be tried for war crimes so we decided to release him. Either he was not thought to have committed a crime or we didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute him.

The country which agreed to take him promised to take steps to mitigate the threat he posed.

How are they going to do that and what is their incentive?

In March 2009, 37 ex-detainees had returned to fighting the US. Don’t know the more recent number

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