Jamal Udeen Al-Harith

Jamal Udeen Al-Harith
Jamal Udeen Al-Harith
Born	Ronald Fiddler; Template:Birth date; Manchester, England
Died	February 21, 2017 (aged 50)
Other names	Abu-Zakariya al-Britani
Occupation(s)	Web designer (former), Islamic State militant
Known for	Former Guantanamo detainee; involved in Rasul v. Rumsfeld lawsuit; Islamic State suicide bomber

Jamal Udeen Al-Harith, originally named Ronald Fiddler (20 November 1966 – 21 February 2017), also identified as Abu-Zakariya al-Britani, was a British national reportedly killed while conducting a suicide bombing in Iraq in February 2017.

Prior to his activities in Iraq, he was detained for more than two years by the United States as a suspected enemy combatant at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. Along with the Tipton Three, he was one of five British nationals returned to the UK in March 2004 and subsequently released without facing charges. That same year, he became a plaintiff in Rasul v. Rumsfeld, suing the U.S. government over interrogation methods. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2009 on grounds of officials’ "limited immunity," and an appeal was refused by the US Supreme Court later that year.

Following his release, the British government awarded Jamal al-Harith £1 million in compensation.

Early life and conversion

Born as Ronald Fiddler in 1966 in Manchester, England, to Jamaican immigrant parents, he had a sister named Maxine Fiddler. Before converting to Islam around 1991 and adopting the name Jamal Udeen Al-Harith, he worked professionally as a web designer in Manchester.

Travels and detention

Al-Harith established an online connection with Samantha Cook from Perth, Australia, who is the daughter of Senator Peter Cook. He traveled to Australia in early 2000 but returned to Manchester following the end of their relationship.

In 2002, during a backpacking journey to Pakistan, he attempted to reach Iran by truck but was apprehended near the Afghan border by Taliban guards on suspicion of being a British spy. Subsequently, American forces discovered him imprisoned in Kandahar and arranged his release through the International Committee of the Red Cross, facilitating his return to Britain via Kabul.

Nonetheless, US military personnel detained him again in Kabul due to doubts about his travel story. Arrested as a suspected enemy combatant, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay detention camp, becoming one of nine British nationals held there. During his detention, he was interrogated by MI5, the British Foreign Office, and US authorities, reportedly providing valuable intelligence regarding Taliban activities. Australian officials were notified and investigated his conduct within Australia, concluding he posed no security risk. After two years and allegations of "cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment," he was released without any charges.

Repatriation and release

In March 2004, al-Harith was among five British citizens—including the Tipton Three—who were freed and repatriated to the United Kingdom. The government led by Tony Blair facilitated their release from Guantanamo that year and defended this action as recently as 2017. Upon arrival back in Britain, authorities immediately released them without pressing any charges.

Following his release, al-Harith joined former detainees Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal, and Ruhal Ahmed (known as the Tipton Three) in filing Rasul v. Rumsfeld against then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2004. They accused him of authorizing unlawful interrogation techniques including torture and religious mistreatment. The legal proceedings advanced through various courts and were remanded after the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush (2008), which affirmed detainees’ rights to access federal courts. Ultimately, the case was dismissed in 2009 due to "limited immunity" afforded to officials at that time; laws explicitly banning torture were only enacted later via the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. The Supreme Court declined to review the appeal in December 2009.

Despite receiving compensation from the UK government, al-Harith encountered significant difficulties securing employment within Britain because of his prior designation as a "terrorist." His sister highlighted the challenges he faced reintegrating into normal life after detention.

Al-Harith and Other Former Taliban Detainees

Al-Harith was one of nine ex-Taliban detainees reported by the Associated Press who were released from Taliban imprisonment and subsequently detained by U.S. military forces. He belonged to a group known as the Kandahar Five, individuals previously held at Kandahar prison. When the Northern Alliance took control of the facility in December 2001, roughly 1,500 prisoners were set free.

IS Involvement and Death

In 2014, al-Harith traveled to Syria to affiliate himself with the Islamic State. His spouse, Shukee Begum, along with their five children, briefly joined him in 2015 before escaping from areas under IS control.

In February 2017, the Islamic State claimed that al-Harith had perished in a suicide car bombing targeting an Iraqi military base near Mosul. Western intelligence sources suggested he was likely the individual who carried out the attack, although the UK Prime Minister’s office noted that no independent verification existed beyond militant statements.

On 9 May 2017, IS disseminated a propaganda video titled We Will Surely Guide Them To Our Ways, filmed in Mosul. The footage depicted al-Harith smiling inside a vehicle rigged for a suicide bombing just prior to detonation, followed by drone-captured scenes of the explosion. The video also showcased other foreign combatants, including American citizen Zulfi Hoxha.

External links

Jamal Udeen Al-Harith’s Guantanamo detainee assessment via Wikileaks
Five of nine Britons released from Guantanamo Bay, BBC News, 9 March 2004
Statement of Jamal al-Harith at blink.org.uk, 6 January 2005
Health fears for 'torture victims', Vikram Dodd and Tania Branigan, The Guardian, 12 January 2005