Ali Abdul Motalib Awayd Hassan Al Tayeea

Ali Abdul Motalib Awayd Hassan Al Tayeea
Born	Baghdad, Iraq
Occupation(s)	Mechanic, driver (former)
Known for	Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp

Ali Abdul Motalib Awayd Hassan Al Tayeea () is an Iraqi national who experienced extrajudicial detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba. He was assigned the Guantanamo Internment Serial Number 111. According to the Department of Defense, his place of birth is Baghdad, Iraq, although no exact birthdate has been disclosed. After spending over seven years in custody without formal charges, Al Tayeea was returned to Iraq on January 17, 2009.

Press coverage

During the initial release of detainee transcripts by the Department of Defense following a directive from US District Court Judge Jed Rakoff, detainees were originally anonymized; however, Al Tayeea’s transcript was among those that included his full name.

An Associated Press article portrayed him as a mechanic who had previously been imprisoned under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The Weekly Standard featured substantial excerpts from Al Tayeea’s Tribunal testimony, which detailed his movements throughout the Middle East and his subsequent employment as a driver for the Taliban in Afghanistan. It was reported that within Guantanamo he earned the nickname "Pimp Daddy."

Al Tayeea recounted encounters with John Walker Lindh, known as the "American Taliban," whom he described ambivalently as both a "good guy" and a "jackass." He remarked:

"I don't believe in the Taliban, but being hungry and homeless, I worked there for 2½ months and traveled in an old Russian car called a Gas 66... Every day there was a broken engine, so I requested money to fix it. I put some in my pocket and went to fix it. I didn't want to go every day. The fucking Taliban is fucking my life."

He also acknowledged disputes with fellow detainees and boasted during his Tribunal about providing information against them:

"They call me motherfucker all the time and I say, 'Fuck Osama Bin Laden and fuck the Taliban.' I'm very happy and I tell them I'll stay here forever and give information about them. I tell them, 'Fuck you, if you believe in Osama Bin Laden.'"

Claims of fabricated accusations

In the Tribunal for Jawad Jabber Sadkhan, detainee number 758 identified himself as "Shaker Al Iraqi (Abass Abdou Erromi)", officially named Abbas Habid Rumi Al Naely. He asserted that allegations against himself and detainee 433 were motivated by hostility from detainees 111 ("Ali Abdou Ahtaleb Al Iraqi") and 252 ("Yassin Basro Al Yamani", officially Yasim Muhammed Basardah). Al Naely, who knew Sadkhan in Afghanistan as a nonviolent family man, claimed that their accusers were unfamiliar with Sadkhan there and fabricated their charges.

Combatant Status Review

The Bush administration argued that the Geneva Conventions did not extend protections to detainees who were neither formal members of Afghan armed forces nor met prisoner of war criteria. Opponents contended that the U.S. was obligated to conduct proper tribunals to ascertain detainee status. In response, the U.S. Department of Defense implemented Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) to determine whether individuals qualified as "enemy combatants."

The Department of Defense characterized "enemy combatants" as persons affiliated with or supporting Taliban, al-Qaeda, or allied groups engaged in hostilities against U.S. or coalition forces, including those who committed hostile acts or directly aided such efforts.

CSRTs operated without adhering to standard civilian evidentiary procedures, accepting government-provided evidence as “genuine and accurate.” From July 2004 through March 2005, these tribunals reviewed detainee statuses.

Ali Abdul Motalib Awayd Hassan Al Tayeea took part in his CSRT hearing, joining approximately 60% of detainees who elected to participate. A Summary of Evidence memo outlined the allegations underpinning his continued detention:

Administrative Review Board

Individuals designated as "enemy combatants" by the Combatant Status Review Tribunal were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board sessions. These hearings assessed the potential risk they might present if freed or transferred, as well as considerations influencing their continued confinement.

Summary of Evidence memo

On 16 August 2005, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was drafted for Ali Abdul Motalib Awayd Hassan Al Payee's Administrative Review Board, detailing arguments both supporting and opposing his ongoing detention.

Transcript

Al Tayeea was present and took part in his Administrative Review Board proceeding.

Board recommendations

In September 2007, the Department of Defense disclosed redacted documents from his Board to Gordon R. England, the Designated Civilian Official. Although the Board’s unanimous decision was obscured, England approved Al Tayeea’s release or transfer on December 19, 2005.

Under the section titled "Other factors," the Board highlighted that Al Tayeea was identified as an Iraqi who had converted between Christianity and Islam, enjoyed special privileges in Kandahar, and was suspected by fellow detainees of acting as a U.S. informant.

Repatriation

At the end of January 2009, six detainees were returned to their home countries: Afghan Bismullah, Hassan Mujamma Rabai Said, along with four Iraqis—Hassan Abdul Said, Ali Al Tayeea, Abbas Al-Naely, and Arkan Al-Karim.