Middle East
Biden releases Al Qaeda instructor held at Guantanamo Bay for two decades
The Biden Administration has just released Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush, a suspected Al Qaeda instructor. The terrorist was returned to Algeria on Thursday after being held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay for two decades.
“The United States appreciates the willingness of the Government of Algeria, and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
According to the New York Times, Bakush is the sixth Guantanamo prisoner released in the past six months; an effort to reduce the population and eventually shut down the facility. A DOD review board determined Bakush was eligible for transfer on April 13, after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin notified Congress of his intent to repatriate the detainee in February, according to the statement.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports:
Bakush is one of the last detainees to be released among a group of 20 suspected low-level Islamist fighters captured in a 2002 raid on facilities U.S. and Pakistani authorities believed Al Qaeda was using as safe houses, according to The New York Times. The Department of Defense (DOD) reached an agreement with Algeria to transfer Bakush, originally thought to hail from Libya, subject to continued monitoring, travel restrictions and security conditions, the statement said…
…All 20 operatives swept up the raid on Faisalabad dwellings were detained in Guantanamo, but only one remains as of Bakush’s transfer, the NYT reported.
U.S. forces initially identified Bakush as Ali Abdul Razzaq from Libya, but he later claimed to be from Algeria and gave his name as Said Bakush, the NYT reported.
Bakush became increasingly reclusive during his two decades as prisoner, boycotting hearings to determine his suitability for release and in 2017 or 2018 refusing to speak with his lawyer, H. Candace Gorman, according to the NYT. He huddled in his cell at Camp 6, a building where more pliant detainees are permitted to eat, pray and watch TV together.
Israeli media reported Sunday that Jerusalem has provisionally agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal with Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic-backed militia in Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the framework after consultations with senior cabinet members and defense officials, according to Haaretz, Kan, and Ynet.
Foreign Desk News reports that the proposed ceasefire involves a three-phase process. First, Hezbollah operatives would relocate north of the Litani River. Next, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw to within Israel’s borders. Finally, mediation would begin between Israel and Lebanon to address unresolved territorial disputes.
Key to Israel’s agreement is a U.S. assurance letter permitting military action in the demilitarized zone if Hezbollah attempts to rearm and the Lebanese armed forces fail to intervene. A U.S.-led international oversight committee will enforce the terms of the agreement.
While Netanyahu expressed some concerns, sources indicate he accepted the core elements of the deal. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv on Monday to finalize the details.
The agreement marks a significant diplomatic effort to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, amid ongoing regional instability.
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