Khalil Rahman Hafez

Khalil Rahman Hafez is a citizen of Pakistan, held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba. [http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf list of prisoners (.pdf)] , "US Department of Defense", May 15 2006] Hafez's Guantanamo detainee ID number is 301.The Department of Defense reports that Hafez was born on January 20 1984, in Punjab, Pakistan.

Identity

Pakistan's "Daily Times" reports that a man named Hafiz Khalil was repatriated to Pakistan in the fall of 2004.cite news
url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-6-2005_pg7_1
title=17 ex-Guantanamo prisoners released
date= June 28 2005
publisher=Daily Times
accessdate=2007-01-21] cite news
url=http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/june-2005/28/index7.php
title=17 ex-Gitmo detainees freed
publisher=The Nation (Pakistani newspaper)
date=June 28 2005
accessdate=2007-01-21] The official list the US Department of Defense released does not list anyone named Hafiz Khalil. [http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf list of prisoners (.pdf)] , "US Department of Defense", May 15 2006] The closest match is Khalil Rahman Hafez.According to the "Daily Times" Hafiz Khalil was born in Gujrat, Pakistan.

Combatant Status Review Tribunal

] Three chairs were reserved for members of the press, but only 37 of the 574 Tribunals were observed.cite web
url=http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3902
title=Annual Administrative Review Boards for Enemy Combatants Held at Guantanamo Attributable to Senior Defense Officials
publisher=United States Department of Defense
date=March 6 date=December 2007

Initially the Bush administration asserted that they could withhold all the protections of the Geneva Conventions to captives of the war on terror. This policy was challenged before the Judicial branch. Critics argued that the USA could not evade its obligation to conduct a competent tribunals to determine whether captives are, or are not, entitled to the protections of prisoner of war status.

Subsequently the Department of Defense instituted the Combatant Status Review Tribunals. The Tribunals, however, were not authorized to determine whether the captives were "lawful combatants" -- rather they were merely empowered to make a recommendation as to whether the captive had previously been correctly determined to match the Bush administration's definition of an enemy combatant.

Hafez chose to participate in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal. [http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/Set_11_1145-1178.pdf#9 Summarized transcripts (.pdf)] , from Khalil Rahman Hafez's"Combatant Status Review Tribunal" - pages 9-10]

testimony

Hafez started his testimony with the following statement: [http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/Set_11_1145-1178.pdf#9 Summarized transcripts (.pdf)] , from Khalil Rahman Hafez's"Combatant Status Review Tribunal" - pages 9-10]

:"“Unfortunately I was in the hands of the wrong people. They sold me and the Americans bought me. I was bought and put in their detention. I was only 16 years old at the time. I answered all their questions. The blamed me for having a connection with Mohammed (referring to the Jaish-E-Mohammad organization as alleged in Exhibit R-1), but I had none. I am not registered with them Of course I went there (to Afghanistan) but I had no connection with them. I did not take part in the war. I fought with the Taliban and I took their training. When I left home it was an emotional decision. I had no sense at that time.”

In answer to questions from the Tribunal members he acknowledged serving with the Taliban. He acknowledged serving on a "defensive line", in the North, which he did not regard as fighting. He was trained in July 2001, and traveled to Afghanistan in August 2001.

He concluded his testimony with the following statement::"“I had nothing against America then or now. When I was brought here and questioned, I answered everything, but I have still not been released. I have no plans to go back and fight again.”

Release

The "Daily Times" reported that Hafiz Khalil was repatriated with sixteen other men. The seventeen men were released from Pakistani custody on June 28 2005.cite news
url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-6-2005_pg7_1
title=17 ex-Guantanamo prisoners released
date= June 28 2005
publisher=Daily Times
accessdate=2007-01-21] cite news
url=http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/june-2005/28/index7.php
title=17 ex-Gitmo detainees freed
publisher=The Nation (Pakistani newspaper)
date=June 28 2005
accessdate=2007-01-21] According to "Daily Times" Punjab's chief minister’s adviser on religious affairs,
Maulana Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, said local authorities wanted to investigate whether the men had been brainwashed and were still involved in any terrorist activity.

References