Salah Abdul Rasool Al Blooshi
Salah Abdul Rasool Al Blooshi | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1981 Muharraq, Bahrain |
| Occupation | Former Guantanamo detainee |
| Known for | Extrajudicial detention at Guantanamo Bay |
Salah Abdul Rasool Al Blooshi (Arabic: صلاح عبد الرسول البلوشي) is a Bahraini national who underwent extrajudicial detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba.
On May 15, 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense published a list of detainees held at Guantanamo, where he was identified as Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul Rahman Al Balushi, assigned Internment Serial Number 227. Born on February 12, 1981, in Muharraq, Bahrain, Al Blooshi was reportedly apprehended by Pakistani officials after crossing from Afghanistan in December 2001 and subsequently transferred to U.S. military custody.
His legal representation is provided by attorney Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, while Bahraini Member of Parliament Mohammed Khalid has taken a leading role in advocating for his release.
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
The Bush Administration initially maintained that Geneva Convention protections did not apply to detainees captured in the "war on terror," a stance that faced judicial challenges. Critics argued that the U.S. government was obligated to conduct fair tribunals to determine the detainees' status.
In response, the Department of Defense established Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs). These tribunals were tasked not with determining lawful combatant status but rather with assessing whether individuals met the Bush Administration's criteria for "enemy combatants." Only a limited number of these proceedings were open to press observation.
Summary of Evidence Memo
On September 23, 2004, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was drafted for the Combatant Status Review Tribunal concerning Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul Rahman Al Balushi. The memo outlined allegations including links to al-Qaeda, travel to Afghanistan through Pakistan in August 2001, and residence at a guesthouse in Kandahar associated with al-Qaeda recruitment activities. It was claimed he surrendered his passport to an al-Qaeda recruiter; both names appeared in documents seized from al-Qaeda safe houses. While receiving medical treatment in Jalalabad, he allegedly encountered an Egyptian individual identified as an al-Qaeda commander engaged on the Taliban front lines. Pakistani authorities reportedly captured him in December 2001 while he was escaping Afghanistan.
These assertions formed the basis for the U.S. government's designation of Al Balushi as an "enemy combatant" but did not include direct proof of his involvement in combat or terrorist acts.
Transcript
No documentation indicates that detainee number 227 took part in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
Habeas corpus
A habeas corpus petition titled Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul Rahman Al Balushi v. George W. Bush was submitted on his behalf. On October 12, 2004, the Department of Defense released sixteen pages of unclassified materials related to his Tribunal.
A declaration from the Legal Advisor, prepared by Commander James R. Crisfield Jr., affirmed his classification as an enemy combatant on September 28, 2004.
The Detainee Election Form dated September 27, 2004, indicated:
| The unclassified summary for detainee #### was read aloud to him. He reviewed the translated summary himself and posed questions. He explicitly chose not to participate in the Tribunal and declined to have evidence or statements presented on his behalf. When asked if he would regret abstaining should he be found an enemy combatant, he responded negatively. |
Administrative Review Board hearing
Individuals designated as "enemy combatants" were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board evaluations to determine if continued detention was warranted, or if repatriation or release was appropriate. These proceedings did not revisit the detainee's status as a prisoner of war or their classification as enemy combatants.
Initial annual Administrative Review Board
On January 28, 2005, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was drafted for Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul Al Balushi’s first annual Administrative Review Board.[1] This document outlined reasons supporting his continued detention and did not include any factors advocating for his release.
Key reasons supporting continued detention comprised:
No factors favoring release or transfer were presented.
Correspondence from Mark S. Sullivan
The Department of Defense disclosed a redacted two-page letter authored by Mark S. Sullivan, legal counsel representing detainee number 227, dated January 19, 2005, entitled "Administrative Review Board Submission for Salah Abdul Rasul Al Bloushi, ISN # 227." An additional unsigned memorandum was also released.
Within Sullivan’s letter, it was noted:
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The unsigned note explained:
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Second annual Administrative Review Board
According to a report by the Gulf Daily News on July 2, 2006, Colangelo-Bryan summarized the accusations against al Blooshi presented during his second Administrative Review Board.
- The military alleged that Salah traveled to Afghanistan prior to September 11, 2001, driven by news about the destruction of Buddhist statues at Bamyan.
- It was claimed he aimed to confirm whether Afghans adhered to Salafi Islam.
- Salah reportedly carried approximately 300 Bahraini dinars and stayed for two weeks with an acquaintance in Kandahar.
- This acquaintance allegedly advised Salah to surrender his passport to an individual connected with Al Qaeda.
- Salah is said to have been ill in Jalalabad for a month before proceeding toward the Afghan-Pakistani border.
Colangelo-Bryan expressed skepticism regarding how these claims substantiated that Al Blooshi represented a threat to the United States.
Summary of Evidence
In September 2007, the Department of Defense issued a Summary of Evidence memorandum concerning Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul Rahman Al Balushi's second annual Administrative Review Board, dated January 30, 2006. This document outlined the reasons supporting his continued detention as well as those advocating for his release or transfer.
Key reasons supporting continued detention
Key reasons supporting release or transfer
Board recommendations
Also in September 2007, the DoD disclosed two extensively redacted memos from Al Balushi's Board to Gordon R. England, the Designated Civilian Official. Although the Board's decision was unanimous, much of it remains classified. England approved his transfer on June 15, 2006. The Board determined that he "...remains a threat to the United States and its allies."
Al Blooshi's final interrogation
On July 23, 2006, Colangelo-Bryan provided an account of Al Blooshi's last interrogation.<ref name=Gulf060723> He observed that camp officials admit that interrogation has ceased for approximately 75% of detainees, with fewer individuals questioned than acknowledged by U.S. representatives.
Al Blooshi did not undergo any interrogations during 2006. His final questioning focused on his involvement in the conflict in Bosnia in 1995.
Release
Salah has been freed.
According to an August 23, 2007 report by the Gulf Daily News, Bahraini legislator Mohammed Khalid urged the Bahraini government to offer financial restitution to detainees who have been released.<ref name=GulfDailyNews20070823>
See also
- Abdulla Majid Al Naimi
- Adel Kamel Hajee
- Bahraini captives in Guantanamo
- Essa Al Murbati
- Juma Mohammed Al Dossary
- Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Mohamed Ali Al Khalifa
References
- ↑ OARDEC (28 January 2005). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Al Balushi, Salah Abdul Rasul Ali Abdul" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-20.