Washington: In attempts to empty the Guantanamo Bay prison by the end of his term, President Barack Obama is said to be giving ‘exit for free’ cards for the flimsiest of excuses.
One al-Qaeda suspect captured in Afghanistan is considered reformed because he took up yoga and read a biography of the Dalai Lama. Another is eligible for release due to his ‘positive attitude’. One longtime detainee, a former bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, is now harmless because he is going to start a milk and honey farm.
The Periodic Review Board already helped clear 78 of the remaining 149 prisoners for release, documents show, and has scheduled more hearings for this summer.
Ghaleb Nasser al-Bihani loves yoga (Photo: DC)
Many of these men were dubbed ‘forever prisoners’ because of the threat they posed to the US, with intelligence officials warning that, if free, they would return to jihad.
In a report on detainee recidivism, Obama’s own director of national intelligence this year documented that 178, or 29 per cent, of the 614 prisoners already transferred from the prison have been confirmed to have, or are suspected of having, re-engaged in terrorism.
That means for every three freed from Gitmo, one has rejoined the war against the US.
One notorious recidivist, Abdullah Gulam Rasoul, became the Taliban’s operations commander in southern Afghanistan soon after his 2007 release from Gitmo. He was blamed for masterminding a surge in roadside attacks against American troops and organising assaults on US aircraft in Afghanistan.
Another repeat terrorist is Said Ali al-Shihri, who after his 2007 release ran al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch and helped plan the deadly bombing of the US Embassy there.
Already, a Taliban leaders freed last week in exchange for POW Bowe Bergdahl, Mullah Noorullah Noori, has pledged to return to fight Americans.
