Ahmed Zaid Salim Zuhair
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Zaid Salim Zuhair is a citizen of Saudi Arabia
formerly held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba
.
On August 13, 2008 it was reported that Ahmed Zaid Zuhair had been on a hunger strike since June 2005.
Two other long-term hunger strikers died under mysterious circumstances in June 2006.
On March 18, 2009, camp authorities declined to agree to moving Zuhair to Camp 4 from Camp 6 in return for his ending his hunger strike.
In December 2008, an Administrative Review Board cleared Zuhair for release from Guantanamo. On May 22, 2009 Zuhair was cleared for transfer once again by the Inter-Agency Review process established by President Obama. He was repatriated to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009.
, writing in the Miami Herald, reported that Zuhair's June 12, 2009 repatriation came shortly before the Department of Justice would be called upon to defend his continued detention during consideration of his habeas corpus
petition.
Zuhair's lawyers have filed an extensive refutation of the government's allegations in court
. They argue that the allegations against Zuhair are baseless:
Zuhair's lawyers point out that the type of intelligence document extensively relied upon to justify his detention almost always carry the legend "WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE" and are used to circulate possible leads, rather than verified information.
Although most of the tortured-based evidence in the case remained classified, Zuhair's attorneys also produced an unclassified declaration from Sa'd Iqbal Madani, a victim of rendition and torture in Egypt and Afghanistan. In it, Madani described how, in order to avoid further mistreatment, he made false statements at Bagram
that interrogators used to link Zuhair to the Cole bombing.
Other detainees who were held at Bagram, including Mamdouh Habib
and Moazzam Begg
, also attested to the torture that Madani experienced.
Zuhair's attorneys also attacked the government's allegations directly. Most importantly they demonstrate that despite investigations of the murder of William Jefferson
by Bosnian police, the United Nations
, and the FBI, Zuhair was never charged as a suspect. Moreover, Bosnian authorities issued an arrest warrant for another man, Fa'iz al-Shanbari, for the murder in 1998. A comprehensive 200-page investigation by the UN did not even mention Zuhair.
Zuhair's attorneys conclude:
In May 2008 the Gulf News
reported that Zuhair and Abdul Rahman Shalabi
are the two remaining captives who have been on the hunger strike that started in August 2005.
On 25 October 2008 the Associated Press
reported that new documents, documenting Guantanamo guards struggles to force-feed Zuhair had recently been filed in court.
According to the report:
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
guard force commander Colonel
Bruce Vargo
offering the justification for the use of force, stated:
According to an affidavit
filed by Ramzi Kassem, one of his attorneys, official records document that between August and October Zuhair lost over 16 kilograms, dropping to under 45 kilograms.
Kassem's affidavit stated that when he last visited Zuhair, in mid November, he kept vomiting uncontrollably, because he was allergic to the liquid food substitute used during his force-feedings.
Pauline Storum
, a Joint Task Force Guantanamo
spokesmen, stated that camp authorities monitored the captives' health closely.
US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan
ordered an independent medical examination for Zuhair.
On March 17, 2009, Ben Fox, writing for the Associated Press
quoted a court statement filed by Colonel
Bruce Vargo
, commander of the camp's guard force, who explained that camp authorities could not agree to move Zuhair to the Camp 4, due to his history of infractions of the camp rules.
He stated it would set a bad precedent, and that other captives held in camp 6 might follow his example, so that they too could be moved ot camp 4.
Vargo's statement acknowledged that the camp's riot squad was routinely called upon to extract Zuhair from his cell for his twice-daily force-feedings.
His statement said Zuhair had committed 80 infractions of the camp rules in the last four months.
Vargo stated that Zuhair currently weighed 114 pounds, down from 137 pounds in August 2008.
After his repatriation to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009 Carol Rosenberg, writing in the Miami Herald, reported that Zuhair had been the longest lasting hunger striker, whose hunger strike had lasted 1450 days.
ordered the guards involved to submit sworn declarations to the court detailing their responses to the allegations, the first time a judge had done so in a Guantanamo-related case.
and Khalid Saad Mohammed, were repatriated to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009.
Fox News reported that Zuhair: "had been implicated in the murder of an American."
Saudi security officials have stated that the three men were allowed to meet with their families, shortly after their repatriation.
Security officials said the three men were then taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
The three men would go through the same Saudi jihadist rehabilitation program as other repatriated captives, even though some former captives have back-slid to supporting jihadism
following their release.
Eric Holder
publicly admitted that Zuhair had been cleared for transfer from Guantanamo by both administrations because "there was no sufficient proof to bring a case" against him.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
formerly held in extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
On August 13, 2008 it was reported that Ahmed Zaid Zuhair had been on a hunger strike since June 2005.
Two other long-term hunger strikers died under mysterious circumstances in June 2006.
On March 18, 2009, camp authorities declined to agree to moving Zuhair to Camp 4 from Camp 6 in return for his ending his hunger strike.
In December 2008, an Administrative Review Board cleared Zuhair for release from Guantanamo. On May 22, 2009 Zuhair was cleared for transfer once again by the Inter-Agency Review process established by President Obama. He was repatriated to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009.
Habeas corpus petition
Carol RosenbergCarol Rosenberg
Carol Rosenberg is a senior journalist, currently with the McClatchy News Service.Rosenberg works at the Miami Herald, which has provided extensive coverage of the operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.-Biography:...
, writing in the Miami Herald, reported that Zuhair's June 12, 2009 repatriation came shortly before the Department of Justice would be called upon to defend his continued detention during consideration of his habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
petition.
Zuhair's lawyers have filed an extensive refutation of the government's allegations in court
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal district court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a...
. They argue that the allegations against Zuhair are baseless:
|
Zuhair's lawyers point out that the type of intelligence document extensively relied upon to justify his detention almost always carry the legend "WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE" and are used to circulate possible leads, rather than verified information.
Although most of the tortured-based evidence in the case remained classified, Zuhair's attorneys also produced an unclassified declaration from Sa'd Iqbal Madani, a victim of rendition and torture in Egypt and Afghanistan. In it, Madani described how, in order to avoid further mistreatment, he made false statements at Bagram
Bagram Theater Internment Facility
The Parwan Detention Facility , also called the Bagram Theater Internment Facility, is a United States-run prison located next to Bagram Airfield in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan.It was formerly known as the Bagram Collection Point...
that interrogators used to link Zuhair to the Cole bombing.
Other detainees who were held at Bagram, including Mamdouh Habib
Mamdouh Habib
Mamdouh Habib is an Egyptian born Australian Muslim best known for his extrajudicial detention in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba, on suspicion of involvement in terrorism....
and Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg , is a British Pakistani Muslim who was held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility and the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in Cuba, by the U.S...
, also attested to the torture that Madani experienced.
Zuhair's attorneys also attacked the government's allegations directly. Most importantly they demonstrate that despite investigations of the murder of William Jefferson
William Jefferson (United Nations employee)
William Jefferson was an American librarian and United Nations employee who was killed while serving in Bosnia.Jefferson was found shot to death near Banovići Bosnia....
by Bosnian police, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, and the FBI, Zuhair was never charged as a suspect. Moreover, Bosnian authorities issued an arrest warrant for another man, Fa'iz al-Shanbari, for the murder in 1998. A comprehensive 200-page investigation by the UN did not even mention Zuhair.
Zuhair's attorneys conclude:
|
Hunger strike
Gulf News
Gulf News is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates with a December 2009 BPA audited circulation of over 117,036 qualified copies...
reported that Zuhair and Abdul Rahman Shalabi
Abdul Rahman Shalabi
Abdul Rahman Shalabi is a citizen of Saudi Arabia currently held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.As of August 2, 2011, Abdul Rahman Shalabi has been held at Guantanamo for nine years seven months....
are the two remaining captives who have been on the hunger strike that started in August 2005.
On 25 October 2008 the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that new documents, documenting Guantanamo guards struggles to force-feed Zuhair had recently been filed in court.
According to the report:
|
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the island. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command...
guard force commander Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Bruce Vargo
Bruce Vargo
Colonel Bruce Vargo is a Military Police officer in the United States Army.He was appointed the commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Joint Detention Group -- its guard force....
offering the justification for the use of force, stated:
|
According to an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
filed by Ramzi Kassem, one of his attorneys, official records document that between August and October Zuhair lost over 16 kilograms, dropping to under 45 kilograms.
Kassem's affidavit stated that when he last visited Zuhair, in mid November, he kept vomiting uncontrollably, because he was allergic to the liquid food substitute used during his force-feedings.
|
Pauline Storum
Pauline Storum
Pauline Storum is an officer in the United States Navy, who has specialized in Public Affairs.In the Spring of 2008 Storum was rotated to be the deputy commander ofJoint Task Force Guantanamo's Public Affairs Office.-Ibrahim Al Qosi's call home:...
, a Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the island. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command...
spokesmen, stated that camp authorities monitored the captives' health closely.
US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan
Emmet Sullivan
Emmet Sullivan, was an American sculptor. He was born in Powder River, Montana, and worked on Mount Rushmore, and later created the five dinosaurs in Dinosaur Park in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1934, his first large scale project...
ordered an independent medical examination for Zuhair.
On March 17, 2009, Ben Fox, writing for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
quoted a court statement filed by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Bruce Vargo
Bruce Vargo
Colonel Bruce Vargo is a Military Police officer in the United States Army.He was appointed the commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Joint Detention Group -- its guard force....
, commander of the camp's guard force, who explained that camp authorities could not agree to move Zuhair to the Camp 4, due to his history of infractions of the camp rules.
He stated it would set a bad precedent, and that other captives held in camp 6 might follow his example, so that they too could be moved ot camp 4.
Vargo's statement acknowledged that the camp's riot squad was routinely called upon to extract Zuhair from his cell for his twice-daily force-feedings.
His statement said Zuhair had committed 80 infractions of the camp rules in the last four months.
Vargo stated that Zuhair currently weighed 114 pounds, down from 137 pounds in August 2008.
After his repatriation to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009 Carol Rosenberg, writing in the Miami Herald, reported that Zuhair had been the longest lasting hunger striker, whose hunger strike had lasted 1450 days.
Death threats
Zuhair wrote a letter to his attorneys on July 18, 2008 stating that Guantanamo guards had searched his cell, confiscated some of his correspondence with his attorneys, and threatened to kill him if he did not drop his habeas petition. Judge Emmet G. SullivanEmmet G. Sullivan
Emmet G. Sullivan is a US District Court Judge in Washington, D.C.Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was born in Washington, D.C. and attended public schools in the District of Columbia until his graduation from McKinley High School in 1964...
ordered the guards involved to submit sworn declarations to the court detailing their responses to the allegations, the first time a judge had done so in a Guantanamo-related case.
Repatriation
Zuhair and two other Saudis, Abdelaziz Kareem Salim al-NoofayeeAbdelaziz Kareem Salim al-Noofayee
Abdelaziz Kareem Salim al-Noofayee is a citizen of Saudi Arabia who was held at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba until 2009.Abdalaziz Kareem Salim al Noofayaee was captured in Pakistan in March 2002 and transferred to Saudi Arabia on 12 June 2009....
and Khalid Saad Mohammed, were repatriated to Saudi Arabia on June 12, 2009.
Fox News reported that Zuhair: "had been implicated in the murder of an American."
Saudi security officials have stated that the three men were allowed to meet with their families, shortly after their repatriation.
Security officials said the three men were then taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
The three men would go through the same Saudi jihadist rehabilitation program as other repatriated captives, even though some former captives have back-slid to supporting jihadism
Jihadism
Jihadism is a term to describe the renewed focus on armed jihad in radical Islamic fundamentalism....
following their release.
Admission of Insufficient Evidence
During a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 17, 2009, Attorney GeneralUnited States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Eric Holder
Eric Holder
Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position, serving under President Barack Obama....
publicly admitted that Zuhair had been cleared for transfer from Guantanamo by both administrations because "there was no sufficient proof to bring a case" against him.