Abdul Rahman al-Amri

Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri (]

Reported to have died May 30 2007

The US Southern Command asserted that a Saudi captive had committed suicide on May 30 2007.cite news
url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/05/guantanamo-detainee-dead-in-suspected.php
date=Thursday, May 31 2007
title=Guantanamo detainee dead in suspected suicide
publisher=The Jurist
author=Michael Sung
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070531/D8PF8FHG0.html
title=Gitmo Detainee Apparently Kills Himself
date=May 31 2007
publisher=Associated Press
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/wire/WirePDF/issue14v8.pdf
title=Detainee Death at Guantanamo Bay
publisher=The Wire (JTF-GTMO)
date=June 1 2007
accessdate=2007-09-27] Initially the DoD withheld his identity.

Early on May 31 2007 Saudi authorities identified the dead man as Abdul Rahman Maadha al-Amry.cite news
url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070531-0735-guantanamo-suicide.html
title=Saudi Arabian Guantanamo detainee dies in apparent suicide
author=Michael Melia
publisher=San Diego Union Tribune
date=May 31 2007
accessdate=2007-05-31]

The Associated Press reported, at noon May 31 2007, that Al-Amry has been identified as one of the "high-value detainees", held in Camp 5.cite news
url=http://www.cfnews13.com/News/International/2007/5/31/u.s._dead_detainee_was_of_high_value.html
title=U.S.: Dead Detainee Was of High Value
date=Thursday, May 31, 2007
publisher=Central Florida News
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?selected=Situation%20Reports&sitrep=1&id=289508
title=U.S.: Guantanamo Suicide Was "High-Value" Inmate
publisher=Stratfor
date=May 31, 2007
accessdate=2007-05-31]

The "Miami Herald", citing sources with inside knowledge of the case, reports that the dead man was
Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri.cite news
url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/124352.html
title=Dead Gitmo captive was Saudi military veteran
author=Carol Rosenberg
date=May 31 2007
publisher=Miami Herald
accessdate=2007-05-31] Their report identified Al Amri as one of the Guantanamo captives who was never allowed to meet with an attorney.The report quotes Al Amri's Combatant Status Review Tribunal, where he pointed out that if he had truly been a jihadist dedicated to killing Americans he could have done so when he was receiving military training in Saudi Arabia from American advisors. The article also quoted Al Amri's denial that he had been involved in making a video about the USS Cole bombing.

Other newspaper reports commented on the timing of the death, pointing out that it was almost a year after the three deaths of June 10 2006, and that both incidents followed a new commandant being assigned to JTF-GTMO, and both incidents occurred shortly before the convening of a military commission.cite news
url=http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/05/31/ap/international/d8pfdrkg0.txt
title=U.S.: Dead Detainee Was of High Value
author=Michael Melia
date=Thursday, May 31, 2007
publisher=Casper Star Tribune
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://news.bostonherald.com/international/americas/view.bg?articleid=1004009&format=text
publisher=Boston Herald
date=Thursday, May 31, 2007
title=Saudi Arabian Guantanamo detainee dies in apparent suicide
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/219618
title=Guantanamo detainee dies of apparent suicide
publisher=Toronto Star
date=May 30, 2007
author=Jane Sutton
accessdate=2007-05-31] cite news
url=http://www.miamiherald.com/915/story/123710.html
title=Gitmo detainee apparently kills himself
date=May 30 2007
publisher=Miami Herald
accessdate=2007-05-31]

Press reports

Department of Defense documents released in September 2007 revealed that al Amri had warned camp authorities in 2002 that conditions at the camp were driving captives to the brink of suicide.cite news
url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/20/news/CB-GEN-Guantanamo-Suicide.php
title=AP NewsBreak: Saudi warned before suicide that some at Guantanamo 'would rather die'
publisher=International Herald Tribune
date=September 19, 2007
accessessdate=2007-10-08]

References