Released Detainee: Back with the Taliban Helps Capture Kabul & Occupy Afghanistan

 

Gitmo detainee back with Taliban in Kabul

(Theme Song: “Happy Days Are Here Again”)

To release Gitmo detainees or not, that is the question. If yes, release them when, where, how, what if any controls?

Case study is this one released after nearly 7 years and look where he is now: Sitting in the presidential office (pictured above) in Kabul after the Taliban, he rejoined captured the city as they over ran the entire country as the U.S. continues to pull out. That story from here with this headline:

“A former Taliban commander who helped seize the Afghan presidential palace spent nearly 6 years at Guantanamo, where he told a guard: We will get you on the outside”

What are the conditions for detainees to be released? If so, when, where, and how tracked? If so, how - who tracks them?

NOTE: This case clearly shows if there is a system that says don’t rejoin the Taliban or al-Qaeda – well it failed. How many more will soon pop up?

The story is below in part – refer to the link above (Business Insider):

·  Gholam Ruhani was filmed celebrating at the Afghan presidential palace on Sunday (August 15).

·  He spent over 6 years imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay before being released in 2007.

· According to his prison record, Ruhani once told a guard: “We will get you on the outside.”

In his victory speech, Ruhani had said that he was held at Guantanamo for nearly eight years. 

In reality, he spent nearly six years according to records published by The NY Times.

Those records show that Ruhani was one of the first Taliban fighters to be captured by the U.S. after the September 11, 2001, attacks, entering the prison on the first day it opened in January 2002. 

He was repatriated to Afghanistan in December 2007, under President George W. Bush's administration.

NOTE: Gitmo officials said Ruhani posed a threat to U.S. if released. I guess a Rick Perry “oops” is too late?

In an assessment before he was released, Pentagon officials said that Ruhani posed a “medium threat to the U.S. based on the fact that he had family in anti-coalition militia entities, and would likely join such groups if released and take part in attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.” 

The assessment also included details about Ruhani's conduct in prison, saying his “overall behavior has been complaint and non-hostile toward the guard force and staff,” however, it was also noted that he threatened a guard in April 2005, saying: “We will get you on the outside.”

According to a summary of evidence against Ruhani, he had worked for the Taliban's Ministry of Intelligence when he was captured in December 2001, during a meeting between the Taliban and Americans.

Over the years he was imprisoned at Guantanamo, Ruhani downplayed his role in the Taliban and refuted some of the evidence the Americans had on him, in interviews and statements to US authorities.

DOD did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

My 2 Cents: Interesting story depending on your stance about releasing detainees – kinda like throwing the dice isn’t it – release them and hope for the best. This case up comes “Snake Eyes” — we lose.

Thanks for stopping by.