Former Guantanamo prisoner is head of Yemen Al Qaeda group that enabled Christmas bomber

[riderinthestorm]

It's a Saudi released (by the Bush Admin may I add) in November 2007 who is purportedly the head of the Yemen Al Qaeda group that produced the terrorist who tried to blow up the flight on Christmas.

Has anyone picked up on all the nuances of that fun fact?

The guy who is now coordinating attacks against the US was most likely illegally detained (for how long? anone know?), and then RELEASED by Bush.

Held at Guantanamo and most likely tortured.

AND, now he's the new Al Qaeda leader in Yemen.

And the frothing Right Wing led by Cheney has the sheer audacity to blow shit at the Obama Admin? For their... incompetence? lack of vigilance?... What am I missing?

[Cant trust em]

1. Does this prompt any thought from our side about how we release prisoners?

Presumably, George Bush wants to hold terrorists indefinitely in most cases. Our conventional wisdom dictates that the Bush administration didn't care about the rights of suspected terrorists. In this case, they determined that they did not have enough evidence or whatever to keep this individual. They let him go and he is now organizing attacks against us.

If some of our operating procedure is to have greater respect for their rights and require greater evidence linking them to possible attacks, then wouldn't we be letting similar people out of Guantanamo?

[On the Road]

2. Is This Part of the Record

i]In this case, they determined that they did not have enough evidence or whatever to keep this individual. They let him go and he is now organizing attacks against us.


or is it inferred from the fact he was released?

I would assume it's just as likely the prisoner was released to the Saudis based on their request, since evidence doesn't seem to have been a factor with the prison population in general. But have not kept up with the details.

[Cant trust em]

3. Let's assume for a second that he was released based on our review. Just for the sake of argument.

Would this then be an argument for never letting anyone go who is suspected of terrorism?

This seems like another extension of any argument against giving rights to suspected criminals. Should we eliminate miranda rights for suspects just because if they're not administered correctly, someone can get off?

If we're going to have rights for suspects, then occasionally we're going to get bit in the ass.

[riderinthestorm]

5. Another excellent point of discussion.

The Obama Admin is facing making that exact same calculus. If I can recall, this guy was released to the Saudis to be "rehabilitated" (cough).

Were we relying on the Saudis to keep tabs on him? IF so, what does it say about their ability to do that (or even enthusiasm to do the job, was this a Saudi LIHOP - it's not as though the Saudis don't fund enough terrorism)? If we were not relying on the Saudis to keep tabs on this guy, why weren't we?

Is this guy (one of) the reason for Cheney's near-certainty that the Obama Admin is soft on terror and that we "would" be hit again?

Food for thought.

[Soylent Brice]

4. here's how i see it: show of hands

how many here believes better tabs are being kept on those being released by this admin, than the previous admin did?

:shrug:

knowing full well the implications (potential attacks as well as political implosion) i can only assume that the president would have to be a complete and utter moron to not be keeping better tabs on where relaeased Gitmo detainees are, and what they are doing.

shrub's admin was half-cocked and disorganized. cowboys who shot from the hips, rounded up people like cattle, and just happened to get lucky once in a while. they let this fucker out, more than likely, due to their lack of diligence - which can be witnessed in every facet throughout the entire 8 years of his administration.

i would like to think the current admin is being a bit more thorough than the last with this situation.

that's my two cents, anyways.

[riderinthestorm]

6. So a little googling does show this guy went through the Saudi terror rehab program

(honestly, wtf would such a program be called but I digress....)

There had to be some stake on the part of both countries to keep tabs on this guy and what he's been up to. How did he simply set up AQ in Yemen and nobody knows he's training up airplane bombers?

[Soylent Brice]

7. okay, here's my other two cents. grab your tinfoil hat.

why in the hell would the Bush admin release ANYONE?

i mean, they had the military commissions act in place, and it was quite obvious they were hellbent on keeping every person in Gitmo right where they had them.

why on earth would this guy be let go???

one might assume that he was recruited by the CIA.

plea bargained out, released, went through the terra "rehab", and then presto: he's the leader of an al qaeda group in yemen that happens to be responsible for an attempted terra attack during O's admin.

if you are still reading this, the rest of my theory is that if he were a CIA recruit, it was more than likely the doing of Cheneyites, which are now Cheney left behinds.

here's my last piece of tinfoil:

Cheney didn't speak up immediately after the attack because there was no shock. no need to be shocked. he may have already known.

:tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat:

***careful reading this post. the reflection off of all this tinfoil may blind you.***

[riderinthestorm]

8. Seymour Hersh said there were "left behinds"

He's not some tinfoiler imho.

Regardless, I get your post - THAT's how far down the rabbit hole the global war on "terra" has led us, imho.

Why DID the Bush Admin release him? Why did the Saudis allow "their guy", their new graduate of "their" rehab program go on to become AQ leader in Yemen?

And Cheney has been conspicuously quiet these past few weeks and now suddenly he's baaaaaccckk.....