Khalid Saad Mohammed

Kahlid Saad Mohammedis a citizen of Saudi Arabia held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf list of prisoners (.pdf)] , "US Department of Defense", May 15 2006] His Guantanamo detainee ID number is 335.The Department of Defense reports he was born on July 13 1973, in Al Tabia, Saudi Arabia.

Combatant Status Review Tribunal

Initially the Bush administration asserted that they could withhold all the protections of the Geneva Conventions to captives from the war on terror. This policy was challenged before the Judicial branch. Critics argued that the USA could not evade its obligation to conduct 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.

Allegations

A memorandum summarizing the evidence against Mohammed prepared for his Combatan Status Reiew Tribunal, was among those released in March 2005. [http://www.dod.mil/pub/foi/detainees/csrt_Mar05.pdf#139 Summary of Evidence memo (.pdf)] prepared for Khalid Saad Mohammed's "Combatant Status Review Tribunal" - October 8 2004 - page 139] The allegations Mohammed faced, during his Tribunal, were:

:""'a. The detainee is associated with al Qaida::#"Detainee, ########### traveled to Afghanistan after September 2001.:#"Detainee was identified as staying at the Abu Hamza al Qaida guesthouse.:#"Detainee was identified by a senior al Qaida member as possibly having clerical status sic amongst Saudi fighters.:#"Detainee was captured while being treated at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan.

Testimony

There is no record thatMohammed chose to participate in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Administrative Review Board hearing

Detainees who were determined to have been properly classified as "enemy combatants" were scheduled to have their dossier reviewed at annual Administrative Review Board hearings. The Administrative Review Boards weren't authorized to review whether a detainee qualified for POW status, and they weren't authorized to review whether a detainee should have been classified as an "enemy combatant".

They were authorized to consider whether a detainee should continue to be detained by the United States, because they continued to pose a threat -- or whether they could safely be repatriated to the custody of their home country, or whether they could be set free.

The factors for and against continuing to detain Mohammed were among the 121 that the Department of Defense released on March 3 2006. [http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/ARB_Factors_Set_3_1161-1234.pdf#48 Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf)] of Khalid Saad Mohammed "Administrative Review Board" - page 48]

"The following primary factors favor continued detention:

:""'a. Commitment:#"The detainee left Saudi Arabia approximately two weeks after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States. :#"The detainee claimed to have spent 30 days in Tehran, Iran before traveling to Spin Boldak, Afghanistan to help Afghani refugees.

:""'b. Connection/Associations:#"The detainee was identified by a key al Qaida facilitator as a Saudi national who arrived in Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks; via Iran and he traveled directly to Kabul, Afghanistan.:#"The detainee was identified as staying at the Abu Hamza al Qaida guesthouse.:#"The detainee was identified by a senior al Qaida member as possibly having clerical status amongst Saudi fighters.

:""'c. Other Relevant Data:#"The detainee was injured in the area of Spin Boldak, Afghanistan while purchasing food and supplies for refugees at a market While in the market, American forces began bombing the area. The detainee sustained his injuries during his attempt to seek shelter. According to the detainee, various groups of Taliban and al Qaida forces were present in the area resulting in the American attack.:#"The detainee was captured while being treated at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan.

"The following primary factors favor release or transfer:

::"a. The detainee said he wants to return home, be reunited with his family and work as a rancher raising cattle and sheep. ::"b. The detainee said he was not a "Sheik" or "Shayhn", saying those titles belonged to highly educated persons or tribal leaders.

References