Noor Uthman Muhammed

Noor Uthman Muhammed
Born	1962 Kassala, Sudan
Occupation	Detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Known for	Detention and conviction by Guantanamo military commission on terrorism-related charges

Noor Uthman Muhammed (born 1962) is a Sudanese citizen who was held at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. He was found guilty by the Guantanamo military commission on charges related to terrorism.

According to the US Department of Defense, Muhammed’s place of birth is Kassala, Sudan.

Background

From the mid-1990s until its shutdown in 2000, Noor Uthman Muhammed was employed at the Khalden training facility in Afghanistan. He started as a small-arms instructor but later requested a different role, becoming the quartermaster responsible for managing provisions including food, water, and firewood. He denies any connections to al Qaida or the Taliban, asserting that Khalden operated independently.

Analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo consider him a high-ranking figure within al Qaida’s command structure. Muhammed was apprehended on 24 March 2002 at the residence of Abu Zubaydah in Faisalabad, alongside Abu Zubaydah and other individuals, some of whom were later prosecuted before the Guantanamo military commission in 2005 and 2006.

Charges

On 23 May 2008, Noor Uthman Muhammed faced accusations of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorist organizations. It was alleged that he was affiliated with al-Qaida, trained at an Afghan camp, and held the position of deputy commander from 1996 to 2000, overseeing both operations and weapons instruction.

Susan J. Crawford from the Office of Military Commissions announced on 21 October 2008 that charges against Noor and four others connected through Abu Zubaydah—who had undergone waterboarding—were withdrawn. Legal representatives expected new charges within thirty days, attributing this procedural dismissal to Prosecutor Darrel Vandeveld’s resignation over ethical issues. Observers speculated this move aimed to prevent Vandeveld from testifying about suppressed exculpatory evidence.

Charges were reinstated against Noor on 5 December 2008. The Obama administration granted extensions for his case and others until late 2009. On 13 November 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that Noor’s prosecution would continue under a military commission.

In April 2010, Presiding Officer Captain Moira Modzelewski stated she would require approximately one year to examine classified materials pursuant to the Military Commissions Act of 2009, which allows classified evidence following judicial review.

By September 2010, Marine Major James Weirick, serving as prosecutor, identified Noor as the primary trainer at Khalden camp, which had produced numerous operatives affiliated with al-Qaida.

Noor entered a guilty plea on 15 February 2011 for conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism, resulting in a sentence of fourteen years.

In May 2013, reports suggested that Noor’s release might be postponed despite completion of his plea agreement because Pentagon officials had not completed necessary procedures for his repatriation. Legal complications included Congressional prohibitions on detainee transfers and possible sentence reversals based on appeals ruling certain charges retroactively invalid.

After serving an additional thirty-four months following his plea, Noor was repatriated to Sudan on 19 December 2013.

External links

• A Lack of Conviction Foreign Policy
• Human Rights First blog: Military Commissions
• Guantanamo judge considers detainee's request for psychological evaluation
• Human Rights First; The Case of Noor Uthman Muhammed, Sudanese
• Guantanamo military commission hearing for Noor Uthman Mohammad 22 September 2010