Abdurahman Khadr
Abdurahman Khadr | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 Manama, Bahrain |
| Occupation(s) | Former detainee, alleged CIA informant |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay; alleged association with al-Qaeda and CIA informant |
Abdurahman Ahmed Said Khadr (, ; born 1982) is a Canadian national who was detained by U.S. forces at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 under allegations of association with Al-Qaeda. He later asserted that he had served as an informant for the CIA, although the agency has neither confirmed nor denied this claim. Khadr was released in 2003 and subsequently repatriated to Canada.
He is the third offspring of Ahmed Khadr, an Egyptian immigrant with alleged connections to al-Qaeda, and Maha el-Samnah, who is Palestinian. His younger sibling, Omar Khadr, was also held at Guantanamo before being transferred to Canadian custody in 2012.
Early life and education
Abdurahman Khadr was born in Manama, Bahrain in 1982 to parents of Egyptian and Palestinian descent who later obtained Canadian citizenship. His father pursued graduate education in Ottawa prior to working in Bahrain and eventually aiding Afghan refugees in Pakistan during the 1980s.
Described as a rebellious youth, Abdurahman frequently ran away from home and resisted family discipline. He has an older sister and brother, along with three younger brothers and a younger sister.
At the age of 12, he attended the Khalden training camp alongside his elder brother Abdullah, adopting the pseudonym Osama. The siblings often clashed, once nearly engaging in armed conflict until a trainer intervened. Their disputes were eventually resolved through mediation by Abu Laith al-Libi, who earned their respect.
In 1998, while briefly residing near Osama bin Laden’s family, Abdurahman developed a friendship with bin Laden’s son Abdulrahman and convinced his father to purchase him an Arabian horse. During this time, rivalry emerged between their horses, reflecting the competitive atmosphere.
Due to his behavioral challenges, his mother requested Osama bin Laden to oversee Abdurahman temporarily; however, bin Laden declined after one day and arranged for Saif al-Adel to escort him back to his family.
At 13 years old, Abdurahman spent seven days at the Jihad Wel al-Farouq training camp, reportedly operated by al-Qaeda members. This camp was targeted by U.S. cruise missile strikes in August 1998, resulting in the death of his friend Amr Hamed. This event deepened his hostility toward Americans during his formative years.
Arrest and release
In November 2001, when he was 19, Khadr was captured by the Northern Alliance forces in Kabul. He was handed over to U.S. authorities on allegations of killing an American medic but was eventually released. Khadr later stated that he experienced several captures and subsequent releases.
There are conflicting reports regarding his movements thereafter. Khadr claims to have spent nine months residing in a CIA safe house near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul while acting as an informant. Other accounts indicate that he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay on March 21, 2003, where he was detained as an enemy combatant.
According to The New York Times, in March 2003 the CIA offered Khadr a contract to operate as an undercover agent within Guantanamo, providing $5,000 upfront plus a monthly stipend of $3,000. While detained in Cuba, he gathered intelligence from fellow inmates and underwent covert CIA training over five months at Camp X-Ray.
The Department of Defense released height and weight data for most detainees held at Guantanamo.
The U.S. government reported that Khadr was removed from detention in July 2003. Nevertheless, a memorandum dated October 9, 2003 revealed that camp officials had denied the ICRC access to Khadr and other detainees citing "military necessity".
Khadr recounts receiving a forged passport afterward and being flown aboard a Gulfstream aircraft associated with CIA Director George Tenet. Following a stopover in Portugal, he arrived in Bosnia where he conducted espionage activities targeting mosques in Sarajevo. Attempts to reach Canadian diplomatic missions initially failed until he was finally admitted at the Canadian embassy in Bosnia and repatriated to Canada on November 30, 2003.
On December 4, 2003, Khadr held a press briefing alongside lawyer Rocco Galati, addressing his involvement in the War on Terror but omitting mention of his alleged CIA collaboration. The next month, he refuted claims that his release had been contingent upon providing information that led to his father’s death in Waziristan just two weeks earlier.
Interviews
In March 2004, Khadr participated in three interviews with PBS, which served as the foundation for the documentary Son of al Qaeda. He described his upbringing as being part of "an al-Qaeda family" and voiced dissatisfaction with his father's involvement in militant activities. Khadr's narratives about his past were inconsistent, including assertions that he had attended Afghan training camps from the age of 9 until 2003, despite reports of his expulsion and detention by U.S. authorities. He has indicated that several of his earlier statements were inaccurate.
Passport issue
In July 2004, the Canadian passport application submitted by Khadr was refused by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, acting on the advice of Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham, who invoked the royal prerogative. Graham justified the refusal on grounds of national security and the safeguarding of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, although at that time national security was not officially recognized as a reason for passport denial under the Canadian Passport Order. This criterion was subsequently incorporated on September 22, 2004, granting the Minister authority to deny or revoke passports for national security reasons.
Khadr challenged this decision through judicial review. On June 8, 2006, the Federal Court determined that the Minister did not have legal authority to refuse the passport without explicit provisions in the Order but acknowledged that following the amendment, such refusals would likely be upheld. Subsequently, on August 30, 2006, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, with backing from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, again rejected Khadr's passport application under the revised Canadian Passport Order.
Various claims
- While Mahmoud Jaballah denied ever encountering Ahmed Khadr in Peshawar, Abdurahman Khadr recounted seeing Jaballah there.[1]
- When approached by the CIA for names of Canadians who had attended Khalden, Khadr identified Amer el-Maati, Ahmad el-Maati, Amr Hamed, and another Canadian known as Idriss, who was reportedly detained for plotting an embassy attack in Azerbaijan.[1] Khadr later asserted that Amer el-Maati had handed his Canadian passport over to Idriss.[2]
- Khadr also stated that his family managed a guesthouse catering to Canadians seeking al-Qaeda training.[1]
Movie deal
On January 9, 2005, Variety revealed plans to develop a film inspired by Khadr's life story.[3]
External links
- "Khadr thankful to be back in Canada", CBC, December 1, 2003
- Khadr v. Canada (Attorney General), 2006 F.C. 727.