Abu ‘Asim al Tabuki Mansour Nasser al Bihani waged jihad in Bosnia, Dagestan, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. He trained Omar Hammami, the American military commander in Shabaab. Two of Abu ‘Asim’s brothers are currently being held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
US Clashes With Baghdad Over Fate of Last Detainee
International Criminal Court demands Libya hand over captured Saif al-Islam
With no end in sight, Guantanamo work goes on
Ship bombing suspect in a Guantanamo Bay military courtroom Wednesday
A DC district court released its opinion denying Guantanamo detainee Bostan Karim’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Karim led an IED cell that targeted Americans, and several other members of his network were detained at Guantanamo.
SPIEGEL Interview with Dick Cheney: ‘I Think There Will Be Further Terror Attacks’
White House Weighs Limits of Terror Fight
Congress, White House spar over Guantanamo records
During congressional testimony, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said that the estimated recidivist rate for ex-Gitmo detainees has risen to 27 percent; 161 ex-Gitmo detainees are now either “confirmed” or “suspected” recidivists.
The 9/11 Decade
Two Decades of Pursuing al Qaeda
War on terror: China slams US, allies for ‘double standards’
The DC Circuit Court denied a Guantanamo detainee’s appeal yesterday. The detainee, Shawali Khan, was a facilitator for Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin prior to his capture in 2002. According to a leaked file, Khan’s cell in Kandahar received weapons and other support from Iran.
Anger After a Raid Kills a Wealthy Afghan With a Murky Past
A former Guantanamo detainee named Sabar Lal Melma was shot by security forces in Afghanistan. According to ISAF, Melma was a “key affiliate of the al Qaeda network.” Melma was once a senior Afghan official in charge of border security in Kunar province. Leaked files allege that he allowed al Qaeda members to escape Afghanistan.
Mother of 9/11 ’20th hijacker’: I was blind to son’s extremism
AQAP has released a biography commemorating former Guantanamo detainee Hani Abdo Shaalan. In the video, AQAP claims that Shaalan was killed in an American airstrike in December 2009. Previously, the Yemeni government claimed that Shaalan was killed during a shootout with government forces.
Former Gitmo detainee calls Sept. 11 ‘disgusting’
Ex-Gitmo inmate takes Australia to UN
The court’s ruling and a leaked threat assessment of Moath Hamza Ahmed al Alwi, who is held at Guantanamo, revealed that he was a member of al Qaeda’s elite 55th Arab Brigade. Al Alwi also allegedly received specialized training and was a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden.
Ibrahim al Afghani fought in Afghanistan, traveled to Pakistan, is linked to top al Qaeda and Shabaab leaders, and is mentioned in the GITMO documents. The report of Afghani’s death is unconfirmed.
Somali Tied to Militants Held on US Ship for Months
According to a leaked Joint Task Force Guantanamo threat assessment, a current detainee named Haji Wali Mohammed was al Qaeda’s “primary financial manager.” Haji Wali also allegedly worked for the Taliban, and purchased missiles for Osama bin Laden with support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
The New York Times reports that Osama bin Laden’s courier was found to be in contact with members of Harakat ul Mujahedin (HUM), a terrorist organization long backed by Pakistan’s spy agency. Leaked Guantanamo files provide more details about the relationship between HUM and al Qaeda.
In a decision released on Thursday, a DC district court denied Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The court cited Khairkhwa’s clandestine meetings with Iranian officials, among other evidence.
AQAP’s chief Mufti, Ibrahim Rubaish, has released a biography honoring ex-Gitmo detainee Fahd Saleh Suleiman al Jutayli. Rubaish, himself a former Gitmo detainee, denies that Jutayli was killed while fighting alongside the Houthis in Yemen.
Attorney general and senator clash on where to try terror suspects
The State Department designated former Gitmo detainee Othman al Ghamdi as a global terrorist today. Al Ghamdi is an “operational commander” in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Leaked Guantanamo threat assessments highlight Osama bin Laden’s influence over East Africa al Qaeda (EAAQ) and its leader, the recently slain Fazul Mohammed. The files also contain striking details about the ties between EAAQ and Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union, the predecessor of Shabaab.