Abdallah al-Ajmi
Abdallah Saleh Ali Al Ajmi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 August 1978 Almadi, Kuwait |
| Died | 23 March 2008 (aged 29) |
| Occupation(s) | Detainee, militant |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay; carried out suicide bombing in Iraq |
Abdallah Saleh Ali Al Ajmi (born 2 August 1978, deceased 23 March 2008) was a Kuwaiti national detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility located in Cuba. He was assigned the Internment Serial Number 220. According to counter-terrorism analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo, his place of birth was Almadi, Kuwait.
On 2 September 2003, legal representatives Thomas Wilner, Neil H. Koslowe, Kristine A. Huskey, and Heather Lamberg Kafele submitted a Petition for writ of Certiorari on behalf of Al Ajmi along with eleven other detainees.
In early 2008, Al Ajmi carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq which resulted in his death.
Combatant Status Review
A memorandum summarizing evidence for his tribunal listed the accusations against him as follows:
Abdullah Saleh Ali Al Ajmi v. United States of America
A habeas corpus petition titled Abdullah Saleh Ali Al Ajmi v. United States of America was filed representing his interests.
Subsequently, on 15 September 2004, the Department of Defense disclosed 12 pages of unclassified materials pertaining to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
His classification as an "enemy combatant" was affirmed by Tribunal panel number 2 on 2 August 2004, marking one of the earliest confirmed cases.
Detainee election form
The detainee election form completed by Al Ajmi’s Personal Representative documented a meeting lasting approximately twenty minutes and included the following notes:
Recognition in the "No-hearing hearings" analysis
The study titled No-hearing hearings identifies Al Ajmi as the initial detainee to have his Tribunal convened on 2 August 2004. It emphasizes that his personal representative met with him only once on July 31, 2004, for roughly ten minutes including translation services. Two days later, the Tribunal was assembled, the hearing conducted, classified evidence examined, and a ruling issued—all without Al Ajmi’s direct involvement.
Administrative Review Board
Individuals designated as "enemy combatants" by the Combatant Status Review Tribunal were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board proceedings aimed at evaluating whether they posed ongoing threats if released or transferred and assessing factors relevant to continued detention.
Summary of Evidence memo
A Summary of Evidence memorandum for Al Ajmi’s Administrative Review Board hearing was drafted on 4 February 2005. It identified eleven key reasons supporting his continued detention:
Primary factors supporting continued detention:
- Association with Taliban: Al Ajmi deserted the Kuwaiti military to join Taliban forces in Afghanistan and was equipped with an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and grenades.
- Engagement in combat: He acknowledged fighting alongside Taliban fighters in Bagram, defending positions against Northern Alliance forces, participating in several firefights, and retreating to Tora Bora prior to capture.
- Jihadist dedication: During his Tribunal, he declared an intention to kill Americans and identified himself as a jihadist.
- Conduct at Guantanamo: He has demonstrated persistent hostility and noncompliance while detained in disciplinary units.
- Risk evaluation: U.S. agencies regard him as an ongoing threat to both the United States and its allied nations.
Primary factors favoring release or transfer:
- No information provided.
Transcript
Al Ajmi's Administrative Review Board session took place on 4 February 2005. In the spring of 2006, after a court directive issued by Jed Rakoff, the Department of Defense made public a 25-page condensed transcript from this hearing.
Board recommendations
In September 2007, the Department of Defense disclosed two extensively redacted memoranda from his Board addressed to Gordon R. England, the Designated Civilian Official. Although the Board's recommendation was unanimous, the details remained classified. On 20 May 2005, England approved his transfer.
Repatriation and acquittal
On 3 November 2005, Al Ajmi was returned to Kuwait and placed under Kuwaiti custody. He was subsequently released on bail as his trial proceeded. The trial involving five defendants commenced in March 2006 and concluded with their acquittal on 22 July 2006. The primary accusations involved financing Al Wafa, an Afghan charity associated with al-Qaeda, and participating in combat alongside the Taliban. Prosecutors maintained that these activities jeopardized Kuwait’s political reputation and its international relations.
The defense argued that statements extracted at Guantanamo were inadmissible in Kuwaiti courts since neither detainees nor interrogators had signed them, and asserted that U.S. charges did not contravene Kuwaiti law.
In October 2011, CNN reported that individuals familiar with Al Ajmi described him as "unstable" following his return from Guantanamo. Officials noted his involvement in a suicide attack in Mosul in April 2008 targeting an Iraqi police patrol, which resulted in six fatalities including two officers.
Suicide bombing after release
On 1 May 2008, Al Ajmi’s cousin informed Al Arabiya that Al Ajmi had executed a suicide bombing in Mosul, Iraq. The following day, The International Herald Tribune detailed three suicide bombings in Mosul on 26 April 2008 that caused seven deaths. The cousin mentioned that Al Ajmi had vanished "two weeks ago." A 2009 The Washington Post article reported that Al Ajmi died in a suicide attack on 23 March 2008, killing thirteen Iraqi policemen. Meanwhile, a 2011 CNN report stated the assault resulted in six deaths, including two police officers.
Defense Intelligence Agency claims he "returned to terrorism"
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) declared that Abdallah Salih al-Ajmi had "returned to terrorism." According to the DIA: