Shoe bomb inventor praised by Bin Laden among latest Gitmo releases

A legendary Al Qaeda explosives expert, whose invention of the “shoe-bomb” endeared him to Usama bin Laden and who may have known about 9/11 in advance, was freed Thursday from Guantanamo Bay, where he became a “highly prolific” source of information for the U.S. government even as his health spiraled. Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al Sawah, a 58-year-old Egyptian who once taught bomb-making to Al Qaeda members and created a special floating mine used to target U.S. ships, as well as the footwear explosive used by failed bomber Richard Reid, has been transferred to Bosnia, according to the Obama administration. “He has been compliant over the last four years,” reads Sawah’s Gitmo file, which was made public by Wikileaks. “He continues to be a highly prolific source and has provided invaluable intelligence regarding explosives, Al Qaeda, affiliated entities and their activities.” More...