Umar Abdullah al-Kunduzi

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Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi is a citizen of Afghanistan, who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 222. Joint Task Force Guantanamo counter-terrorism analysts estimate that Al Kunduzi was born in 1979, in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

The Chicago Tribune reports that although he was born in Afghanistan he lived most of his life before he returned to Afghanistan in 2001 living in Saudi Arabia, where his parents were guest workers.

Combatant Status Review

Main article: Combatant Status Review Tribunal

Al Kunduzi was among the 60% of prisoners who chose to participate in tribunal hearings. A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for the tribunal of each detainee.

Al Kunduzi's memo accused him of the following:

a. Detainee is associated with the Taliban and al-Qaida.

1. Detainee admits to staying at the residence of a known Al-Qaida facilitator in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, whom he had previously met in Saudi Arabia.
2. Detainee admits to travelling with armed Taliban forces to the Tora Bora region to escape US bombings.

b. Detainee engaged in hostilities against the US or its coalition partners.

1. Detainee admits to traveling to Afghanistan from his home in Saudi Arabia either shortly before the attacks of September 11, 2001 or shortly thereafter.
2. After Jalalabad fell to Northern Alliance forces, detainee admits to fleeing to the Tora Bora region with another known Al-Qaida figure where he sought refuge in a cave for approximately one month and was armed with a Kalishnikov rifle.
3. Following his flight from Tora Bora, detainee was captured along with a number of other armed Arab men by Pakistani military forces after crossing the border from Afghanistan.

On March 3, 2006, in response to a court order from Jed Rakoff the Department of Defense published a three page summarized transcript from his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Administrative Review Board

Detainees whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal labeled them "enemy combatants" were scheduled for annual Administrative Review Board hearings. These hearings were designed to assess the threat a detainee may pose if released or transferred, and whether there are other factors that warrant his continued detention.

First annual Administrative Review Board

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Umar Abdullah's first annual Administrative Review Board, on 24 January 2005. The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.

The following primary factors favor continued detention

a. Commitment

1. After Jalalabad fell to Northern Alliance forces, detainee admits to fleeing to the Tora Bora region with another known al Qaida figure where he sought refuge in a cave for approximately one month and was armed with a Kalishnikov rifle.
2. While in Tora Bora, the detainee carried a rocket-propelled grenade and was assigned the responsibility for preparing mortars for use as directed by the cave commander.
3. The detainee and others were led out of the Tora Bora region by the leader of the Khalden training camp, who has been linked to Usama Bin Laden, Abu Zubaydah and several other major al Qaida leaders.
4. While some people left their weapons behind as they were fleeing Tora Bora, the detainee chose to continue to carry his, along with three additional magazines.
5. Following his flight from Tora Bora, detainee was captured along with a number of other armed Arab men by Pakistani military forces after crossing the border from Afghanistan.

b. Training

1. The detainee attended a terrorist training camp.
2. The detainee attended urban warfare camp at a training camp in the city of Murad Beek.

c. Connections/Associations

1. The detainee was identified as a fighter for the Taliban against the Northern Alliance.
2. The detainee was separately identified as fighting along with the Taliban and other Arab fighters aligned with Usama Bin Laden.
3. The detainee was seen at various guesthouses in and around Kabul in the summer of 2001.
4. Detainee admits to traveling with armed Taliban forces to the Tora Bora region to escape U.S. bombings.
5. The detainee traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan along a route commonly used by al Qaida recruits: by air from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Bahrain to Doha, Qatar to Karachi, Pakistan; and by ground from Karachi, Pakistan to Peshawar, Pakistan to Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
6. The detainee admits to staying at the residence of a known al Qaida facilitator in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
7. The detainee admitted that some of the people staying at this guesthouse had weapons.

d. Intent

1. The detainee repeatedly expressed a desire to kill a military guard.
2. The detainee stated that he really wanted to be let free so he could kill "bad" Americans.
3. The detainee stated that while he has never had ill feelings for Americans prior to his detention, he has now developed particular contempt and disgust for America as a result of his detention and treatment while in custody.

e. CSRT

1. The detainee admitted he had a Kalishnikov while staying in the cave in Tora Bora.

f. Other Relevant Data

1. The detainee threw water on a guard protesting the treatment of another detainee.
2. The detainee struck a guard while being unshackled.

The following primary factors favor release or transfer

a. CSRT

1. The detainee stated he did not know the people he fled to Tora Bora with were members of al Qaida or Taliban.

b. Excuplatory

1. The detainee stated that he went to Afghanistan to visit his family, not to fight.
2. The detainee stated that he did not fight with al Qaida or the Taliban.
3. The detainee stated that he was never recruited into the Taliban or al Qaida by anyone.
4. The detainee denied that the names and phone numbers found on him when he was captured were those of al Qaida members; instead, they were of his brothers and friends.

c. Other Relevant Data

1. The detainee stated he has an uncle who is a friend of General Dostum and is a supporter of the Northern Alliance.
2. The detainee stated that if he were released he would simply return home and would not harm anyone unless they were the aggressor.

Transcript

Al Kunduzi chose to participate in his Administrative Review Board hearing. In the Spring of 2006, in response to a court order from Jed Rakoff the Department of Defense published a five page summarized transcript from his Administrative Review Board.

Second annual Administrative Review Board

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi's second annual Administrative Review Board, on 6 February 2006. The memo listed factors for and against his continued detention.

The following primary factors favor continued detention

a. Commitment

1. After Jalalabad fell to the Northern Alliance Forces, the detainee admitted ot fleeing to the Tora Bora region with another known al Qaida member. The detainee sought refuge in a cave for approximately one month and was armed with a Kalishnikov rifle.
2. While in Tora Bora, the detainee carried a rocket-propelled grenade and was assigned the responsibility for preparing mortars for use as directed by the cave commander.
3. The detainee and others were led out of the Tora Bora region by the leader of the Khalden Traing Camp, who has been linked to Usama Bin Laden and other major al Qaida leaders.
4. While some people left their weapons behind as they were fleeing Tora Bora, the detainee chose to continue to carry his, along with three additional magazines.

b. Training

1. The detainee attended the Khalden Training Camp where he received military training in the late 1990's.
2. The detainee attended urban warfare training at a training camp in the city of Murad Beek.

c. Connections/Associations

1. The detainee is familiar with al Qaida, two major al Qaida facilitators, and the leader of the Khalden Training Camp.
2. The detainee was identified as a fighter for the Taliban against the Northern Alliance.
3. The detainee was separately identified as fighting along with the Taliban and other Arab fighters aligned with Usama Bin Laden.
4. The detainee was seen at various guesthouses in and around Kabul in the summer of 2001.
5. The detainee admitted ot traveling with armed Taliban forces to the Tora Bora region to escape U.S. bombings.
6. The detainee traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan along a route commonly used by al Qaida recruits: by air from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Bahrain to Doha, Qatar to Karachi, Pakistan; by ground from Karachi, Pakistan to Peshawar, Pakistan to Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
7. The detainee admitted to staying at the residence of a known al Qaida facilitator in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The detainee admitted that some of the people staying at the guesthouse had weapons.
8. The detainee had the names and phone numbers of al Qaida members with him when he was captured.

d. Intent

1. The detainee repeatedly expressed a desire to kill a military guard.
2. The detainee stated that he really wanted to be let free so he cuold kill "bad" Americans.
3. The detainee stated that while he has never had ill feelings for Americans prior to his detention, he has now developed particular contempt and disgust for America as a result of his detention and treatment while in custody.

e. Other Relevant Data

1. The detainee admitted that he had a Kalishnikov while staying in the cave in Tora Bora.
2. The detainee three water on a guard in protesting the treatment of another detainee.

The following primary factors favor release or transfer

a. The detainee stated he did not know the people he fled to Tora Bora with were members of al Qaida or the Taliban.

b. The detainee stated that he went to Afghanistan to visit his family, not to fight.

c. The detainee stated that he did not fight with al Qaida or the Taliban.

d. The detainee stated that he was never recruited into the Taliban or al Qaida by anyone.

e. The detainee stated he has an uncle who is a friend of General Dostum and is a supporter of the Northern Alliance.

f. The detainee stated that if he were released he would simply return home and would not harm anyone unless they were the aggressor.

Release

As of 2007, Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi has been released from Guantanamo Bay

On November 25, 2008 the Department of Defense published a list of when Guantanamo captives were repatriated. According to that list he was repatriated on December 12, 2007.

The Center for Constitutional Rights reports that all of the Afghans repatriated to Afghanistan from April 2007 were sent to Afghan custody in the American built and supervised wing of the Pul-e-Charkhi prison near Kabul.

Adapting to post detention life

The Chicago Tribune profiled Al Kunduzi on March 4, 2009. The article reported Afghan authorities detained him for a further four months after his repatriation. The article reported that Al Kunduzi acknowledged being present in Tora Bora as the Taliban regime collapsed. He told his interviewer that because he had been detained in Guantanamo he couldn't find work, and that former associates of his who remained loyal to the Taliban were pressuring him to join them.

"When I say I am vulnerable, understand this—the policy of those on the other side is, 'You're with me, or you're against me.' "One day, finally, they will come after me. That's why I want to disappear."

External links

• The Guantánamo Files: Website Extras (4) – Escape to Pakistan (The Saudis) Andy Worthington

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