Turki Mash Awi Zayid Al Asiri
Turki Mash Awi Zayid Al Asiri | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 8, 1975 Yaboq, Saudi Arabia |
| Died | November 7, 2014 (aged 39) |
| Occupation | Emir for Al-Qaeda in Lahij Governorate (former detainee) |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay; listed on Saudi Arabia's most wanted list; killed by Yemeni security forces |
Turki Mash Awi Zayid Al Asiri (born March 8, 1975 – died November 7, 2014) was a Saudi national detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Assigned Internment Serial Number 185, Al Asiri was identified by Joint Task Force Guantanamo intelligence personnel as originating from Yaboq, Saudi Arabia.
He was listed among Saudi Arabia's most wanted individuals as of February 3, 2009. Al Asiri held the position of Emir for Al-Qaeda in the Lahij Governorate and was ultimately killed by Yemeni security forces on November 7, 2014.
Combatant Status Review
A memorandum summarizing evidence prepared for his Combatant Status Review Tribunal outlined accusations such as:
- a. The detainee's affiliation with al Qaeda or Taliban groups:
- He is a citizen of Saudi Arabia who voluntarily traveled to Afghanistan through several stops in Pakistan prior to September 11, 2001.
- He underwent approximately one month of training at the al Farouq camp, which included physical conditioning and weapons instruction.
- During the September 11 attacks, he was present in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
- In response to U.S. aerial bombardments, he withdrew to mountainous terrain roughly three weeks after the attacks.
- He journeyed across Pakistan and Afghanistan for a period of six to seven months before being apprehended by Pakistani forces in December 2001.
- A document seized during raids targeting al Qaeda affiliates contained an alias potentially connected to him.
Administrative Review Board hearing
Individuals designated as "enemy combatants" were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board sessions aimed at determining whether continued detention was warranted, or if repatriation or release should be considered. These proceedings did not address prisoner of war status nor reconsider the initial enemy combatant determination.
First annual Administrative Review Board
On September 9, 2005, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was compiled for Turki Mash Awi Zayid Al Asiri’s inaugural Administrative Review Board hearing. This document cited twenty-six reasons supporting ongoing detention and two factors favoring release or transfer.
Principal allegations included:
- Selling his vehicle to finance travel to Afghanistan following a fatwa issued by Sheikh Hamoud Alaugla.
- Employment with the Al Rajhi Foundation involving distribution of Korans and work at an orphanage.
- Traveling to Afghanistan to receive militant training under Abu Bakr Al Jazairi.
- Journeying alongside three pilgrims affiliated with Tablighi Jamaat whom he met in Pakistan.
- Capture alongside an address book containing Arabic names and telephone numbers.
- A satellite phone confiscated on October 7, 2001 had dialed a number listed in his address book.
- A booklet found within an ammunition crate contained phone numbers including one matching his address book entries.
- One phone number possibly linked to Amanullah Zadran, sibling of militia leader Pacha Khan Zadran.[1]
- His identity appeared on a document recovered during a safe house raid in Karachi listing 324 suspected al Qaeda operatives, which included his alias along with passport and ATM card information.
Second Annual Administrative Review Board
On 9 May 2006, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was compiled for Turki Mish'awi Za'id Alj-Amri's second annual Administrative Review Board. This document outlined both the reasons supporting and opposing the continuation of his detention.
Repatriation
The Department of Defense issued a list on November 25, 2008, specifying the dates when detainees departed from Guantanamo. According to this record, Alj-Amri was transferred back to Saudi custody on November 9, 2007, along with thirteen other individuals. Notably, the detainee's return did not result from a formal internal review process, as his detention was not evaluated during the 2007 annual Administrative Review.
Among those released at the same time, at least ten detainees were also repatriated without undergoing the standard review procedures. Peter Taylor of BBC News referred to this group, including Alj-Amri, as "batch 10". Investigations by the BBC revealed that this particular group posed significant concerns, with four members later appearing on the Saudi most wanted list.
Inclusion on a Saudi "Most Wanted" List
On February 3, 2009, Saudi authorities published a list naming 85 individuals suspected of terrorism under the heading "most wanted." Among them was a person identified as Turki Mashawi Al Aseery. This roster also included ten other former detainees from Guantanamo. Half of these eleven ex-detainees had been repatriated on November 9, 2007, despite recommendations from annual reviews that they remain in custody.
External links
- Innocents and Foot Soldiers: The Stories of the 14 Saudis Just Released From Guantánamo Andy Worthington
- ↑ Pacha Khan Zadran secured election to Afghanistan’s National Assembly in 2004; Hamid Karzai appointed Amanullah Zadran Minister of the Interior in 2002.