Abdul Latif Nasir

Abdul Latif Nasir
Born	(1965-03-04) March 4, 1965 Casablanca, Morocco
Occupation	Former detainee
Known for	Detention at Guantanamo Bay detention camp

Abdul Latif Nasir () is a Moroccan individual who was previously held in administrative detention at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. Assigned the Guantanamo Internment Serial Number 244, analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo indicate he was born on March 4, 1965, in Casablanca, Morocco. Near the conclusion of Barack Obama's presidency, Nasir along with Sufyian Barhoumi requested urgent transfers from the Guantanamo facility.

His narrative was highlighted on Radiolab's podcast episode titled The Other Latif, hosted by Latif Nasser.

On July 19, 2021, Nasir was released as part of initiatives by the Biden administration aimed at shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Variations in Name Identification

Official records from the United States Department of Defense display inconsistencies in how Nasir’s name was recorded:

• The name Abdul Latif Nasir appears on Summary of Evidence documents for his Combatant Status Review Tribunal dated November 29, 2004; his initial annual Administrative Review Board on November 21, 2005; and across five official detainee rosters.
• On the Summary of Evidence for his second annual Administrative Review Board dated October 17, 2006, he is identified as Abdulatif Nasser.

Detention Experience at Guantanamo

Captured by fighters of the Northern Alliance in late 2001 within Afghanistan, Nasir was reportedly handed over to U.S. forces in exchange for a bounty. He was subsequently transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2002. While detained, he created an Arabic-English dictionary comprising approximately 2,000 words.

Review Processes Regarding Detention Status

The administration under Bush maintained that individuals detained in the War on Terror were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions, allowing indefinite detention without formal charges or transparent judicial review. However, in 2004, the United States Supreme Court decided in Rasul v. Bush that detainees must be informed of the accusations against them and granted an opportunity to contest their detention.

Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, the United States Department of Defense formed the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants. According to a December 2008 analysis by scholars at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, detainees were categorized based on allegations presented by military authorities:

• Nasir was accused of traveling to Afghanistan with intent to participate in jihad.
• He was alleged to have resided in safehouses affiliated with Al Qaeda, Taliban, or other groups.
• Claims included that he underwent military or terrorist training while in Afghanistan.
• He was reported to have engaged in combat for the Taliban and been present during battles at Tora Bora.
• His identity or aliases appeared on materials confiscated during Al Qaeda raids.
• Circumstances surrounding his capture suggested active belligerency.
• He was identified as a member within Al Qaeda’s leadership structure.
• During tribunal proceedings, Nasir did not provide statements directly addressing these allegations.

This categorization illustrates the military’s rationale for maintaining his detention without formal charges.

Previously confidential Joint Task Force Guantanamo evaluation

On April 25, 2011, the whistleblowing platform WikiLeaks released once-classified evaluations prepared by analysts from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo. The 15-page Joint Task Force Guantanamo assessment, dated October 22, 2008 and authorized by camp commander Rear Admiral David M. Thomas Jr., advised that detention should continue.

Guantanamo Joint Review Task Force

Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald dedicated several years to uncovering the Department of Defense's classification of detainees still held. In 2013, she disclosed that Abdul Latif Nasser was among 48 prisoners for whom no evidence supported ongoing detention, yet they were judged too risky to release—labeled as "forever prisoners".

Status under the Trump administration

During President Barack Obama's final year in office, efforts were made to transfer as many detainees from Guantanamo Bay as possible. According to The Washington Post, Abdul Latif Nasir was one of five individuals approved for release but remained in custody when President Donald Trump assumed office.

In 2020, Latif's situation received renewed focus through the Radiolab podcast series titled "The Other Latif," produced by journalist Latif Nasser.

Release

Abdul Latif Nasir was freed and returned to Morocco on July 19, 2021. Although recommended for release since 2016, his detention lasted 19 years without any formal charges. His family in Casablanca pledged to assist him by providing employment in his brother’s swimming pool maintenance business, as stated by his attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin.

External links

• Abdul Latif Nasir JTF-GTMO Detainee Assessment (PDF) – The New York Times (The Guantanamo Docket)
• The Other Latif podcast series from Radiolab (WNYC Studios)