Taliban, Haqqani and al-Qaeda affiliated detainees at Guantanamo (top L-R) Mohammed Zahir and Abdul Ghani and (bottom L-R) Shawali Khan and Khil Ali Gul
The Pentagon announced today the “repatriation of Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani, and Mohammed Zahir from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”
As directed by the president’s Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of this case. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.
In accordance with statutory requirements, “the secretary of defense informed Congress of the United States’ intent to transfer these individuals and of his determination that this transfer meets the statutory standard.
The United States is grateful to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.”
As of today , 132 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
See video: Breaking News December 2014 USA free 4 Guantanamo prisoners flew home to Afghanistan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d5OoLSdwas
See video: U.S. Releases 4 Afghan Prisoners From Guantanamo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSCaYDgr7nI
Note: Mohammed Zahir was a leading Taliban weapons supplier, according to his official Guantanamo file, leaked three years ago to The Telegraph by the Wikileaks hacker group (Quote Detainee Report, File Mohammad Zahir: “Detainee was arrested on suspicion of possessing weapons including Stinger missiles and uranium, which detainee’s recovered documents indicate was intended for use in a nuclear device…”).
Of the other three, Abdul Ghani was a member of an assassination squad who admitted to having been involved in at least one rocket attack on US forces; Khi Ali Gul was said to have ties to the Haqqani terrorist network and to have planned and executed attacks against US and Coalition forces; and Shawali Khan, who was said to be a blood relative (nephew) of a leader of the Taliban-linked Hezb-E-Islami Gulbuddin with possible ties to al-Qaeda.
The release followed a request by Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani. No further details were made available.