Two More 'High' Risk Detainees Transferred from Gitmo

[Valin]

The Weekly Standard:

Another 'forever' detainee transferred.

Thomas Joscelyn

Apr 04, 2016

 

Secretary of State John Kerry praised the Republic of Senegal today “for offering humanitarian resettlement to" two now former Guantanamo detainees. As was the case when the administration transferred detainees to Uruguay in late 2014 and Ghana earlier this year, the Guantanamo jihadists are being portrayed almost as victims in need of rescue from the American government.

 

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Both men, Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr Mahjour Umar and Salem Abdul Salem Ghereby, allegedly belonged to al Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and also worked with senior al Qaeda leaders. Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), which oversees the detention facility, assessed both of them to be "high" risks who are "likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies."

 

JTF-GTMO was especially concerned about Umar, finding that he was a "long-time associate" of Osama bin Laden and that he had "affiliations" with other top al Qaeda leaders. JTF-GTMO's analysts concluded that Umar was an "explosives and weapons trainer" who was willing to share his expertise with others. In an Aug. 22, 2008 threat assessment that was later leaked online, JTF-GTMO recommended that the Defense Department continue to hold Umar and issued the following warning:

 

If released without rehabilitation, close supervision, and means to successfully reintegrate into his society as a law abiding citizen, it is assessed detainee would immediately seek out prior associates and reengage in hostilities and extremist support activities. Since transfer to JTF-GTMO, detainee has been mostly compliant with guard force and staff but has threatened to kill US personnel on several occasions. Detainee has been cooperative, but continues to withhold information of intelligence value, and also shares his extensive explosives knowledge with other detainees.

 

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It is worth noting that the jihadists are operating throughout North and West Africa. The LIFG, which Umar and Ghereby served, found new life in North Africa during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and afterwards. In fact, Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenant believed in early 2011 that "an active Jihadist Islamic renaissance" was "underway." Al Qaeda was encouraged by the fact that many LIFG members had been freed from jail. One of them was another ex-Guantanamo detainee and LIFG leader: Sufian Ben Qumu. Today, Ben Qumu is best known for his putative role in the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi.