Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Kahtani
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Kahtani is a citizen of Saudi Arabia
who was a captive held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
' Bagram Theater Internment Facility
.
He has been described as one of the two men responsible for a escape from Bagram, on July 11, 2005.
According to Eric Schmitt
and Tim Golden
of the New York Times
US official didn't first identify him and Omar al Faruq under their real names, when they first escaped.
Schmitt and Golden reported "Intelligence officials gave differing views on the importance of Mr. Kahtani. One official described him as having been responsible at one point for maintaining Al Qaeda's operational support structure in Afghanistan; another said he was an important Qaeda fighter, but not a senior-level operative."
Al-Kaktani and the other three men were being held in cell 119, Bagram, an isolation cell, with four other men.
Schmitt and Golden reported that it had been planned to transfer the four men to the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in Cuba
.
Al-Kahtani appeared in a video released by al Qaeda later in 2005.
Radio Free Europe
reported that Al-Kahtani appeared in an al Qaeda video with the other escaped men in October 2005.
They also reported that Al-Kahtani was believed to have been involved in the beheading of two people in Iraq.
American officials issued a statement on November 6, 2006 that a ""known al Qaeda operative and five other extremists" had been captured in an operation in Khost Province
.
On November 13, 2006, Asharq Alawsat
reported that one of the captured men was a Saudi identified as "Abu Nasir al-Qahtani", who was later reported to be Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Kahtani.
Xinhua reported that the men were captured with "grenades
, military equipment, armor-piercing rounds and AK-47 assault rifles" and a "camera containing surveillance video of nearby military installations".
A Taliban spokesman told the News International
that al-Kahtani was captured in a safe house near the Khost Airport.
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...
who was a captive 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...
' 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...
.
He has been described as one of the two men responsible for a escape from Bagram, on July 11, 2005.
According to Eric Schmitt
Eric Schmitt
Eric S. Schmitt is a Republican member of the Missouri Senate, representing the 15th District since 2009. Previously he was a Glendale, Missouri, Alderman from 2005 to 2008....
and Tim Golden
Tim Golden
Tim Golden is a Republican member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 8th District since 1998. He was previously the Democratic Minority Caucus Chairman...
of the New York Times
US official didn't first identify him and Omar al Faruq under their real names, when they first escaped.
Schmitt and Golden reported "Intelligence officials gave differing views on the importance of Mr. Kahtani. One official described him as having been responsible at one point for maintaining Al Qaeda's operational support structure in Afghanistan; another said he was an important Qaeda fighter, but not a senior-level operative."
Al-Kaktani and the other three men were being held in cell 119, Bagram, an isolation cell, with four other men.
Schmitt and Golden reported that it had been planned to transfer the four men to the 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...
.
Al-Kahtani appeared in a video released by al Qaeda later in 2005.
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
reported that Al-Kahtani appeared in an al Qaeda video with the other escaped men in October 2005.
They also reported that Al-Kahtani was believed to have been involved in the beheading of two people in Iraq.
American officials issued a statement on November 6, 2006 that a ""known al Qaeda operative and five other extremists" had been captured in an operation in Khost Province
Khost Province
Khost is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the east of the country. Khost province used to be part of Paktia province in the past...
.
On November 13, 2006, Asharq Alawsat
Asharq Alawsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. A pioneer of the "off-shore" model in the Arabic press, the paper is often noted for its distinctive green-tinted pages....
reported that one of the captured men was a Saudi identified as "Abu Nasir al-Qahtani", who was later reported to be Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Kahtani.
Xinhua reported that the men were captured with "grenades
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
, military equipment, armor-piercing rounds and AK-47 assault rifles" and a "camera containing surveillance video of nearby military installations".
A Taliban spokesman told the News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
that al-Kahtani was captured in a safe house near the Khost Airport.