Alif Khan
Encyclopedia
Alif Khan is a citizen of Afghanistan
who was held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba
.
His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 673.
He was repatriated on 23 March 2003.
Alif Khan
was one of the former captives who had an article profiling him.
Alif Khan told his McClatchy interviewer that he had to move to Kabul
after his repatriation because his early release put him at risk from local Taliban in his home area.
They had approached him, upon his return to Khost
, and told him he should travel to Waziristan
and fight with the Taliban. When he declined he started receiving death threats.
He said that he was apprehended by Afghan troops in early 2002, while traveling from Khost to Kabul.
He said the same corrupt troops had stopped him a few days earlier, and had released him in return for a bribe. The troops who arrested him were under the overall command of warlord
Abdullah Mujahid
, who was later sent to Guantanamo himself.
Alif Khan said he never knew why had been sent to Guantanamo.
He had been issued a laminated card when he was repatriated to Afghanistan. He showed it to his interviewer, and asked for an explanation of what it said. It said:
Alif Khan had been held in the Kandahar detention facility and the Bagram Theater Internment Facility
prior to being sent to Guantanamo.
The McClatchy reporter speculated that Alif Khan's early release was either a sign analysts determined he was completely innocent, or that the allegations against him were not regarded as being serious.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
who was 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...
.
His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 673.
He was repatriated on 23 March 2003.
McClatchy News Service interview
On 15 June 2008 the McClatchy News Service published a series of articles based on interviews with 66 former Guantanamo captives.Alif Khan
was one of the former captives who had an article profiling him.
Alif Khan told his McClatchy interviewer that he had to move to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
after his repatriation because his early release put him at risk from local Taliban in his home area.
They had approached him, upon his return to Khost
Khost
Khost or Khowst is a city in eastern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Khost province, which is a mountainous region near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan...
, and told him he should travel to Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
and fight with the Taliban. When he declined he started receiving death threats.
He said that he was apprehended by Afghan troops in early 2002, while traveling from Khost to Kabul.
He said the same corrupt troops had stopped him a few days earlier, and had released him in return for a bribe. The troops who arrested him were under the overall command of warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Abdullah Mujahid
Abdullah Mujahid
-Witnesses:Mujahid requested eight witnesses:* Said Mohammed Ali Shah - a Guantanamo detainee.* Haji Mohammed Aktiar - the Tribunal's President doesn't identify Aktiar any further, but assumes he is back in Afghanistan...
, who was later sent to Guantanamo himself.
Alif Khan said he never knew why had been sent to Guantanamo.
He had been issued a laminated card when he was repatriated to Afghanistan. He showed it to his interviewer, and asked for an explanation of what it said. It said:
|
Alif Khan had been held in the Kandahar detention facility and the Bagram Theater Internment Facility
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...
prior to being sent to Guantanamo.
The McClatchy reporter speculated that Alif Khan's early release was either a sign analysts determined he was completely innocent, or that the allegations against him were not regarded as being serious.