Saleh Ali Zaheed Al-Khatha’ami

Saleh Ali Zaheed Al-Khatha’ami is a citizen of Saudi Arabia held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. [http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1175544.php/Thirteen_Saudis_and_a_Turkistani_return_to_Saudi_from_Guantanamo Thirteen Saudis and a Turkistani return to Saudi from Guantanamo] , "Middle East News", June 25 2006] cite web
url=http://saudiembassy.net/2006News/News/TerDetail.asp?cIndex=6331
title=Fourteen Guantanamo detainees returned to the Kingdom
date=June 25 2006
publisher=Royal Saudi Embassy, Washington DC
accessdate=March 10
accessyear=2007]

Identity

Saleh Ali Zaheed Al-Khatha’ami's name became known when he was repatriated, with thirteen other men, on June 25 2006.

Saleh Ali Zaheed Al-Khatha’ami does not match any of the names the US Department of Defense released on May 15 2006. [http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf list of prisoners (.pdf)] , "US Department of Defense", May 15 2006] According to the DoD that list of 759 names listed all the captives who had been held, in military custody, in Guantanamo.

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.

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. Zaheed is currently working with OOMC as an Underwriter and doing well.

Guantanamo records

There is no record that Al-Khatha’amichose to participate in either his Combatant Status Review Tribunal or his Administrative Review Board.

Repatriation

Al-Khatha’ami was repatriated on June 25 2006, along with thirteen other Saudis.

References