Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi
Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1973 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Known for | Former Guantanamo detainee; alleged involvement with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula |
Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi is a Saudi national who was previously detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. His assigned Guantanamo Internee Security Number was 333. According to the US Department of Defense, he was born on July 13, 1973, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Al Harbi was handed over to Saudi authorities on November 9, 2007.
Counterterrorism experts at the SITE Institute have identified an individual named Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi as being Al Harbi.
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
Initially, the Bush administration maintained that detainees captured during the war on terror were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions. This stance faced legal opposition demanding that the U.S. conduct adequate tribunals to determine whether detainees qualified as prisoners of war.
To address this, the Department of Defense implemented Combatant Status Review Tribunals. These tribunals did not adjudicate lawful combatant status but assessed if detainees met the administration’s criteria for being classified as an enemy combatant.
Summary of Evidence memo
A Summary of Evidence memorandum was prepared for Al Harbi’s Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
Transcript
Al Harbi took part in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal proceedings.
Referenced in the "No-hearing hearings" report
The report titled No-hearing hearings cited Al Harbi as an example of a detainee who was arbitrarily denied the opportunity to submit exculpatory evidence during his Tribunal. He stated:
Repatriation
On November 25, 2008, the Department of Defense published a list confirming that Al Harbi had been repatriated to Saudi custody on November 9, 2007, along with thirteen other individuals. His transfer underwent formal internal reviews in 2005, 2006, and 2007. However, the recommendations and authorized conclusions from the 2007 review were redacted.
At least ten men included in his release group did not undergo formal review processes.
Peter Taylor of BBC News referred to the Saudis returned with Al Harbi on November 9, 2007, as "batch 10." The BBC's investigation identified this group as problematic; four members were listed on the Saudi most wanted list.
Defection
In January 2009, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula disseminated threatening videos featuring spokesmen who identified themselves as former detainees of Guantanamo and alumni of the Saudi Care rehabilitation center. Among them was Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi (Guantanamo inmate 333), appearing with three others, including ex-detainee Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri (Guantanamo inmate 372), Abu Baseer al-Wahayshi, and Abu Hureira Qasm al-Rimi.
The terrorist surveillance organization SITE Institute verified al-Oufi’s identity; however, Guantanamo spokesperson Commander Jeffrey Gordon declined to provide confirmation.
On January 28, 2009, the Saudi Gazette published interviews with members of al-Oufi's family, revealing that his radicalization was influenced by al-Shihri. His sister recounted his abrupt disappearance following a phone call from al-Shihri. The report also included comments from former detainee Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al-Badah, who condemned their defection.
On February 3, 2009, Saudi authorities issued a most wanted list containing 85 individuals suspected of terrorism. As reported by The New York Times, fourteen Saudis previously detained at Guantanamo were suspected of engaging in terrorist activities after their release, including "Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Awfi" (an alias for al-Oufi) and two other figures featured in the threatening video.
Surrender
On February 17, 2009, Saudi officials announced that Mohamed Atiq Awayd al-Awfi voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Yemen. He presented himself at the Saudi-Yemen border and was subsequently extradited back to Saudi Arabia. Reports vary regarding his precise role; while CNN described him as "the group's field commander," other sources identified al-Shihri as the second-in-command of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula without clearly defining al-Awfi's position.
Prior to surrendering, al-Awfi reportedly reached out to leaders within Saudi Arabia's rehabilitation program and was slated to rejoin it. Furthermore, Saudi security personnel stated that Al Harbi asserted Iran's sponsorship of al Qaeda, with the organization’s tactics involving assaults within Saudi Arabia followed by retreats into Yemen.
Listed as a former captive who "re-engaged in terrorism"
On May 27, 2009, the Defense Intelligence Agency released a fact sheet naming former detainees who had "re-engaged in terrorism",, among them al Awfi and Al Shihri.
BBC Interview
Peter Taylor conducted an interview with Al Harbi, identified as "Mohammed al-Awfi," for BBC News. Al-Awfi alleged that during his interrogations at Bagram, he endured severe genital mistreatment, which he claimed motivated his decision to join jihadists despite participation in the Care rehabilitation program. After affiliating with them in Yemen, he stated:
Taylor expressed doubts about al-Awfi’s narrative concerning his escape and subsequent defection.
External links
- Former al-Qaeda member alleges US abuse in Afghanistan video from the BBC January 13, 2010
- Innocents and Foot Soldiers: The Stories of the 14 Saudis Just Released From Guantánamo Andy Worthington