By Robert Laurie ——Bio and Archives--November 16, 2015
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The Department of Defense announced late Sunday that five Yemeni detainees who had been held at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have been released and sent to the United Arab Emirates. The transfer of Ali Ahmad Muhammad al-Razihi, Khalid Abd-al-Jabbar Muhammad Uthman al-Qadasi, Adil Said al-Hajj Ubayd al-Busays, Sulayman Awad Bin Uqayl al-Nahdi, and Fahmi Salem Said al-Asani, came after a “comprehensive review” by the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force, according to the Pentagon.Now, here's the interesting thing: Obama can probably make a case that four of those prisoners pose no ongoing threat. He might end up being wrong, but at least he'd be able to make a credible argument since the Guantanamo Review Task Force would agree. However, the fifth prisoner doesn't enjoy such an endorsement. He's Ali Ahmad Muhammad al-Razihi, he was one of Bin Laden's bodyguards, and the task force recommended he remain incarcerated because they believe he poses an ongoing threat to U.S. citizens, our interests, and our allies. Their warning was overruled:
The task force recommended continuing detention for al-Razihi, saying that he had been a bodyguard for Usama bin Laden and that he probably fought against the rebel Northern Alliance prior to the U.S. invasion. The task force also described al-Razihi as a “medium [security] risk [who] may pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies.” However, the task force’s recommendation in Razihi’s case was overruled by a parole-like review board that recommended him for transfer.So, to sum up Barack Obama's Paris reaction so far: We're not going to revise our strategies for dealing with ISIS and Syria, despite the fact that they aren't working. We're going to accelerate the acceptance of Syrian refugees, despite the fact that terrorists lurk among them. We're going to release Jihadists we do catch, despite the fact that they were well-placed within Al Qaeda and our own task force has labeled them a continuing threat. ...And people have the audacity to say this President isn't doing everything he possibly can to keep the U.S. safe. How dare they. I could have sworn that Al Qaeda was the LA Lakers to ISIS's JV squad....
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