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Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi

From Alfawiki
Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi
Born
Yemen
OccupationFormer detainee
Known forExtrajudicial detention at Guantanamo Bay; hunger strikes; participant in Guantanamo art program

Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi is a Yemeni national who was subjected to extrajudicial detention by the United States from December 2001 until June 22, 2016.[1][2] He was among the initial group of twenty detainees transferred to the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in Cuba on January 11, 2002, where he remained until his relocation to Montenegro, which granted him political asylum.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

US intelligence agencies justified his detention in part by alleging that he was captured alongside a group of thirty Osama bin Laden bodyguards, a claim that historian Andy Worthington, author of The Guantanamo Files, has criticized for being based on uncorroborated detainee accusations.

At the time of his capture, Al Rahabi was married, and his wife had recently given birth to their daughter.[1][2] He was also recognized as one of the most persistent participants in hunger strikes at Guantanamo.[13]

Official status reviews

During the early years of the Bush Administration, it was declared that individuals detained in the "war on terror" were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions and could be held indefinitely without formal charges or transparent judicial review.[14] However, in 2004, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of the accusations against them and given an opportunity to contest their detention.

Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, the United States Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants.[14][15]

By December 2008, researchers at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, categorized detainees according to military allegations:[16]

  • Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi was identified as a member or associate of al Qaeda or the Taliban.
  • He was accused of undergoing military or terrorist training in Afghanistan.
  • Allegations included serving on Osama bin Laden's security detail.
  • He was classified as an al Qaeda operative.
  • Listed among 34 detainees who admitted to lesser associations such as staying in Taliban or al Qaeda guesthouses or attending training camps.
  • Admitted involvement in some form of associational conduct.

Formerly secret Joint Task Force Guantanamo assessment

On April 25, 2011, the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks released confidential assessments prepared by analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo. His eleven-page Joint Task Force Guantanamo assessment was completed on April 28, 2008. The document was signed by camp commander Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, who recommended that his detention continue.

Asylum in Montenegro

On June 22, 2016, the government of Montenegro granted asylum to al Rahabi, confirming that he was permitted to leave the country and that his stay would not impose any financial obligations. Al Wahab praised Montenegro as a "beautiful country" and was eventually reunited with his wife and adolescent daughter, although they encountered difficulties adapting to the local culture and language.

Subsequently, Al Wahab moved to Sudan after obtaining authorization from Montenegrin authorities to ensure adherence to U.S. regulations. While in Sudan, he established connections with other Yemeni refugees displaced by the ongoing civil conflict.

Role in the controversial Guantanamo art program

During the Obama administration, an art initiative was launched at Guantanamo Bay aimed at enhancing detainees' well-being by supplying them with artistic materials. Some of the resulting artworks displayed surprising levels of craftsmanship; however, many detainees were unable to keep their pieces after release. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Defense asserted that detainees did not retain ownership of their artwork, which resulted in its destruction. Among notable collectors is Gail Helt, a former CIA analyst and current academic, who possesses a painting sold by Al Rahabi.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MiamiHerald2016-06-22
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MiamiHerald2014-12-10
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ap2016-06-22
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MontenegroPr2016-06-22
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Nbc2016-06-23
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TheIndependent2016-06-23
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DoDIsn37-2016-06-22
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Rfi2016-06-23
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AlBawaba2016-06-23
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TheNation2016-06-24
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named USNews2016-06-23
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IBTimes2016-06-23
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MiamiHerald2013-07-17
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UsaToday20071011
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bbc2002-01-21
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Brookings2008-12-16
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