Fouad Mahoud Hasan Al Rabia
Encyclopedia
Fouad Mahmoud al Rabiah (born on June 24, 1959) is a Kuwait
i, who was held in the United States
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
s, in Cuba
from May 2002 to Dec 2009.
Al Rabia's Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 551.
Al Rabia was an executive with Kuwait's national airline before his wrongful arrest and extradition. He had studied in the United States, and described himself as an America-phile. He is also a philanthropist, along with members of his family, and they regularly followed-up to observed in person the charitable enterprises they donated to. He had routinely made preliminary and followup field trips to check on projects they had donated to. In 2001 he described traveling to Afghanistan, for charitable purposes.
Al Rabia was to face charges in 2008 before a Guantanamo military commission
but all charges were dropped in 2009.
In September 2009 Al Rabia's habeas corpus
petition concluded, and US District Court Judge ordered that he be released "forthwith". That release occurred on December 9, 2009. Al Rabiah's lawyers called on President Barack Obama
to apologise on behalf of the United States
and provide "appropriate compensation" to al Rabiah for his ordeal.
On August 12, 2009 Fouad Al Rabia's Defense Counsel,
Lieutenant Commander
Kevin Bogucki asserted his clearance for travel to Kuwait was being withheld.
All charges dropped in 2009.
published an article based on interviews with Fouad and other former Guantanamo captives, entitled "Former Guantanamo inmates tell of confessions under 'torture'".
Al Rabiah told Jenifer Fenton he was tortured by his initial Northern Alliance
captors, tortured in the Kandahar detention facility, tortured in the Bagram Collection Point, and tortured in Guantanamo.
He told her he had been interrogated over 200 times, including "lots and lots of torture".
Al Rabiah showed Fenton a copy of a two page letter found in Tora Bora
that he was tortured into confessing he wrote. The letter's author wrote that he and his son Abdullah lead an attack in Afghanistan in 1991. However, while Al Rabiah's son is named Abdullah, he was only one year old in 1991.
Al Rabiah told Fenton he started to confess to all his interrogators accusations after he was asked "Would you like to go home a drug addict?"
He told Fenton that he regarded this as one of the threats, that triggered his false confessions.
reported that Kuwait and the USA concluded negotiations regarding the repatriation of the remaining Kuwaiti captives.
He was repatriated on December 9, 2009. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that he had been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the government of Kuwait. The transfer was carried out under an arrangement between the United States and the government of Kuwait. The United States would continue to consult with the government of Kuwait regarding Al Rabia.
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
i, who was held in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
s, 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...
from May 2002 to Dec 2009.
Al Rabia's Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 551.
Al Rabia was an executive with Kuwait's national airline before his wrongful arrest and extradition. He had studied in the United States, and described himself as an America-phile. He is also a philanthropist, along with members of his family, and they regularly followed-up to observed in person the charitable enterprises they donated to. He had routinely made preliminary and followup field trips to check on projects they had donated to. In 2001 he described traveling to Afghanistan, for charitable purposes.
Al Rabia was to face charges in 2008 before a Guantanamo military commission
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
but all charges were dropped in 2009.
In September 2009 Al Rabia's 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 concluded, and US District Court Judge ordered that he be released "forthwith". That release occurred on December 9, 2009. Al Rabiah's lawyers called on President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to apologise on behalf of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and provide "appropriate compensation" to al Rabiah for his ordeal.
Guantanamo military commission
On 22 October 2008 the Office of Military Commissions filed charges against Fouad Al Rabia and Fayiz Al Kandari.On August 12, 2009 Fouad Al Rabia's Defense Counsel,
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Kevin Bogucki asserted his clearance for travel to Kuwait was being withheld.
All charges dropped in 2009.
Fouad al Rabia's weight
The documents published when charges were proposed against Fouad al Rabia included the weights recorded by the camp's medical staff.Torture
CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
published an article based on interviews with Fouad and other former Guantanamo captives, entitled "Former Guantanamo inmates tell of confessions under 'torture'".
Al Rabiah told Jenifer Fenton he was tortured by his initial Northern Alliance
Northern Alliance
The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group...
captors, tortured in the Kandahar detention facility, tortured in the Bagram Collection Point, and tortured in Guantanamo.
He told her he had been interrogated over 200 times, including "lots and lots of torture".
Al Rabiah showed Fenton a copy of a two page letter found in Tora Bora
Tora Bora
Tora Bora , known locally as Spīn Ghar , is a cave complex situated in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan, in the Pachir Wa Agam District of Nangarhar province, approximately west of the Khyber Pass and north of the border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan...
that he was tortured into confessing he wrote. The letter's author wrote that he and his son Abdullah lead an attack in Afghanistan in 1991. However, while Al Rabiah's son is named Abdullah, he was only one year old in 1991.
Al Rabiah told Fenton he started to confess to all his interrogators accusations after he was asked "Would you like to go home a drug addict?"
He told Fenton that he regarded this as one of the threats, that triggered his false confessions.
Repatriation
On May 12, 2007, the Kuwait TimesKuwait Times
Founded by Yousuf Saleh Alyan in September 1961, the Kuwait Times is the first English-language daily newspaper in the Persian Gulf region, based in Kuwait...
reported that Kuwait and the USA concluded negotiations regarding the repatriation of the remaining Kuwaiti captives.
Immediate release
On September 17, 2009 US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly orderded that Al Rabia could no longer be detained under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force and ordered the government to release him from detention at Guantanamo BayHe was repatriated on December 9, 2009. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that he had been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the government of Kuwait. The transfer was carried out under an arrangement between the United States and the government of Kuwait. The United States would continue to consult with the government of Kuwait regarding Al Rabia.
External links
- Judges Question Evidence On Guantanamo Detainees NPR - April 28, 2011
- Royal jet sent to bring Kuwaiti home from Guantanamo
- Emotional welcome home for Guantanamo detainee
- Innocent Guantánamo Torture Victim Fouad al-Rabiah Is Released in Kuwait
- Kuwaiti engineer released from Guantanamo: Judge's ruling points up systemic problems with coerced 'evidence'
- Pentagon drops Kuwaiti's war crimes case
- Barack Obama means change – except on torture
- Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruling (PDF)