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Abd Raouf / AP
Sudanese national Ibrahim al Qosi prays upon arrival at Khartoum airport in Khartoum, Sudan. Al Qosi arrived before dawn on a US Air Force aircraft after his release from 10 years in detention.
Ibrahim al Qosi, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, has been released from Guantanamo and returned to Sudan, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.
In July 2010, al Qosi pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorism and conspiracy. He had been detained at Guantanamo following his capture at the Pakistani border in December 2001 and was released according to a plea agreement with the U.S.
Al Qosi, who was born in Sudan around 1960, left in 1996 to join Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, where he provided services to bin Laden and other al-Qaida members as a driver, bodyguard and cook. In the early 1990s, he trained with jihadists and worked as an accountant for a company affiliated with Osama bin Laden, according to DOD documents released by WikiLeaks.
Al Qosi had been sentenced to a 14-year term for crimes committed between 1996 to 2001, but served two years in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors. The U.S. had agreed to return al Qosi to Sudan upon completing two years of his sentence.
"Although the United States had the legal authority to continue holding al Qosi under the [Authorization for the Use of Military Force], we coordinated with the Government of Sudan on appropriate security measures to mitigate any threat he continues to pose," said Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale in a statement to msnbc.com.
Paul Reichler, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer who represented al Qosi pro bono for the past seven years, said his client will participate in a re-entry program designed by the Sudanese government for former detainees.
According to a document published by the government in 2010, nine Sudanese nationals had been returned from Guantanamo and been subject to the re-entry program. At that time, none were known to "have engaged in hostilities against the United States, its interests or its allies since their return to Sudan."
"I’m very glad that he’s a free man," said Reichler, who added that he would have withdrawn his representation of al Qosi if at any time he seemed to be a terrorist or a threat to the U.S. According to al Qosi's court statement, he had no knowledge or or participation in the 1998 Tanzania and Kenya embassy attacks or the September 11 attacks, though he continued to provide logistical support to al-Qaida after these events.
"I believe he is a decent and honorable person whose only desire is to go home to his family, live in peace and tranquility and engage in productive labor in his family business, and he has no desire to be associated with violent movements of any kind," said Reichler.
Al Qosi arrived in the capital city of Khartoum Tuesday evening Eastern time, and according to court documents, will live with his wife, two daughters and other family members upon returning. In a letter to the Military Commission in January 2011, al Qosi's mother and father said that he would manage a family shop in the town of Atira.
One-hundred and sixty-eight detainees remain at Guantanamo. Reichler, who does not represent any other Guantanamo clients, said that many detainees might be interested in negotiating a plea agreement, but that there has been a high degree of skepticism that the U.S. would honor its word.
With al Qosi's release, Reichler said, "I suspect that there will be many who will seek plea agreements."
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at msnbc.com. Follow her on Twitter here.
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Leave a Comment:
Well.. certainly Sudan is well known for it's expertise in the rehabilition of known terrorists of this type..
so.. it only makes sense that he should be returned to his . . wife.. kids.. family business.. after a 2 year stint for ratting out his buddies.. who.. also happen to inhabit.. Sudan.
Cool.
The US turned his brain into mush. That's the only reason we released him.
The headline reads: "Ibrahim al Qosi, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, has been released from Guantanamo and returned to Sudan." They should have added: "To rejoin the jihad against America." .
They set him free because they realized it was a mistake to put him into Guantanamo in the first place. He was Osama's DRIVER, for goodness sakes.
You really think Osama discussed policy and tactics with him?
He, in a way, enabled Bin Laden and helped 9/11 happen as a result. Should not be released. He will return to his old ways like most convicts do.
Um, Bart.. did you not read that he pled guilty to terrorism? And I am sure he never discussed his business while on the long drives between terrorist meetings.
They should have returned him without his head, like he would have done to one of us.
This jerk has nothing..even in his own country of Sudan..he will go back to Pakistan to get even with us ASAP.
If they want to let prisoners go from that Cuban prison..give them a row boat and paddle and say 'GIT'.
The next time we will hear about him is after he strap a suicide vest on and blew himself up with a bunch of innocent people.
Bin Laden's driver-cook freed from Guantanamo - I hear he is screening prospective future Arab terrorists to become their driver and cook. We will hear of him again. Good move USA.
Oh dear.
Hey Steve972-6167888 did you read the part where he was held for 9 years without a trial? That's the true reason why they don't want to give these people real due process - how can you force a person to make a confession without torture and long-term confinement? A plea bargain is a win for the prosecution whether the person is guilty or not.
He's a good man.
What a waste of taxpayer dollars. Instead of releasing him after we got everything we wanted from him, he should've been garroted to death (don't waste taxpayer dollars on a bullet), his body cremated and the ashes dumped into the garbage with bacon fat.
bart
He helped with logistics after the 9/11 attacks. What an ignorant statement!
It doesn't matter what he plead guilty to. If you are in a war, prisoners are not released until the war is over. We didn't send any German or Japanese prisoners home until after the war and neither did they. Also, it did not matter if the captured prisoner was a cook, a corpsmen, a mechanic, or rifleman, he was still a captured enemy and held for the duration of the war. We should treat these guys the same.
Terry-753375 - The problem with the modern wars waged by the US is that they never officially started so there can't be any official end. The "War on Terror" is a scam. You can't hold people indefinitely until the world no longer has any evil in it particularly when your own actions as a country are part of that evil.
Sure, lets let all the terrorists go free. Smart move, Obama.
The latest plot in the terrorist world is to smuggle a nuclear bomb into the US (or western Europe) and detonate it. I believe the cells are in place to do this and the big event will happen before 2020.
Obama is soft on terrorists.
Well that's about as ignorant a statement as I've seen. Obama has killed more of them in the first year of office than Bush did his entire Presidency. Not to mention by massively increasing the use of drones, he's done it without having to put troops on the ground in various countries. Add in the fact that his SEALS put 2 bullets into Osama bin Laden's face.
So yea I guess he is soft...
Good for him.
Hopefully he can now focus on blowing up the White with Obama in it!!!!!!!!!!!!
You sound as if you're interested in having a nice little chat with the Secret Service.
I'm thinking with comments like yours that you are the real terrorist here. I hope you get a visit from the Secret Service and that the visit is widely publicized in your community so everyone know exactly who you are.
I recommend that the community not close this idiots post and if anyone knows of someone that could actually look into this bozo that they notify them ASAP.
i would love to chat with those idiots as well.
you both sound like real brainiacs!!!!!!!!!!
lmfao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Should be an interesting chat. I would lawyer up now.
Observer,
I can not stand Obama either but come on man he is still the President. You dont have to respect the man in the office but at least respect the office.
I would like to see one of our soldiers kick that terrorist in the head while he was kissing the ground though.
2 years. So this is the worst of the worst? Someone who has committed such a serious crime that he ends up serving 2 years and is then released?
Byron,
Holder and Barry O for you. Dont question them.....they know what is best for all of us.
ObserverNYC Comment collapsed by the community
I see an ass-whooping and expulsion from this site in your future...not necessarily in that order.
ObserverNYC - you have clearly suggested that you would rather have an al Queda operative impose the choice of leadership in this country rather than the electorate. I believe they call that fascism. At the same time you expressed a clear sentiment that he would "hopefully" blow up the White House. That's about as blatant a treason statement as one can make.
If ObserverNYC was himself a "brainiac", he'd know that there is a high likelihood that MSNBC is getting a visit from the cybercrime investigators at the US Secret Service to track down ObserverNYC through the IP logs. Should be pretty easy. ObsererNYC, I hope they nail you to the wall, sir, for both making terroristic threats AND threatening the President of the United States.
Since Observernyc stated his support for the released terrorist, he should be the next to be arrested and sent to Gitmo.....and kept there.
Expect more to come out of Gitmo between now and November. Remember, there were over 200 Gitmo detainees that were cleared to leave but no country would take them even before Obama took office. Obama didn't seem to be aware of that at all during his campaign speeches. I'm wondering who agreed to take in the others finally and if they're really "free".
If it weren't a Democrat in office, the bolded part would be the headline of the article. I found that part particularly eye-opening.
I am sure he is totally rehabilitated and a good born again citizen. From what I have seen on Fox T.V. and how successful water boarding and Gitmo are I bet he has red, white and blue underwear on, and he will have a secret decoder ring set to Langley to report any nastiness afoot.
if you only knew how succesful waterboarding really was.
Waterboarding is a joke..its not freaking torture...i usually have to pay 40 bucks to go waterboarding..
Waterboarding was never meant to rehabilitate. It was meant to gain vauable information to protect Americam citizens. President Obama's approach is to just target them and kill them along with bystanders at times in drone attacks. I wonder if those four (4) terroists that were waterboarded would rather have been humanely blown up with their family members instead of thinking they just might die. You probably can ask those that were waterboarded their opinion on the subject but won't be able to ask those that were targeted by drones if they would rather be waterboarded. If this guy was driving at the time of a drone attack, we wouldn't be talking about him.
Sadly, waterboarding doesn't work. When you hear that the masterminds were waterboarded over 100 times, you know it doesn't work at all.
Really Bart? How did they find out where Osama was then? Thats right by giving the poor little muslim terrorist cookies and milk.
Actually all the top brass said Osama was NOT found by waterboarding.
It was good old fashioned detective work.
In fact the CIA interrogators all complained that when the military would come in and start torturing, the prisoners all shut up or said nonsense to stop the torture.
Bart,
You must have some high level security clearance.
Torture does not get positive results and often they will tell you anything you want to hear, even if they know nothing they will tell you something to get you to stop.
During WWII japanese tortured for imformation, it has been said those that talked the least that the torture ended sooner.
During the the Civil War soldiers from the south were often freed upon giving their word not to fight any more. I can say I haven't heard any stories that they ever did, but there may be some that did. I just roam through History and don't care to be a Historian.
6Dogs,
at least you can write a comprehensive response. If you want to read a good book check out Fly Boys. Brutal but a very informative read.
gr8tmisakeof08 banned, rereg of JamesInSeattle.
Hey Repubs, One of the few of Repub politicians(or dem politicians for that matter) I truly respect is John Mcain. He is against it and he should know!!
Trash the prez all you want, but honestly doing it on national defense is kinda lame. Even Cheny has shut his fat mouth on the matter.
Bart as to waterboarding, Read Jose Rodriquez, Hard Measures instead of the campaign material distributed by Obama
Suzie1111 is right. During the 08 Campaign, Obama criticized Waterboarding, and now pushes for Drone assassinations. hey, don't get me wrong, those Islamist scum deserve a hellfire up their a$$, but Obama is all about campaigning, not what is right.
All I wish to add is I just finished Ali Soufan's book "The Black Banners" and no, I have never been to an interrogation where water boarding has taken place but according to him the best info is gained by using your wits not threats or discomfort. And it was good old fashioned detective work that found Osama.
it's a shame for the usa to send that man back '' only to be executed in the worst way '' !!!!!!!!!! come on america , we could have done a little better identity covering up then that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
is Gitmo still open?
I thought obama said... nervermind.
Umm..I dont want to burst your bubble, but Obama has proven himself to be another empty suit politician spreading venom and calling it honey. Politicians will be politicians, no matter the creed, ideals, or party.
Obama and the democrats tried to close Gitmo, Repubs filibustered the attempt.. Unfortunately you have to work with the hand dealt to you.
Congress is what blocked the closing. You can't keep blaming Obama for that one.
That was a Dem congress.
@sonmanvd, Yeh, but nobody could get anything done because all he Republicans did was FILIBUSTER! I understand they even filibustered a motion to take a potty break.
RTypo and Bart, both of you are examples of just how well informed liberals are. The Democrats and Libs controlled the House, Senate and Oval office for two years. Gitmo could have been closed literally on day one of his presidency. Obama didn't close it. It has nothing to do with filibusters, Bush or the Republicans.
You can continue to keep spinning excuses and deceit. You can continue to blame Bush for everything 4 years later, but the truth is the public is finally starting to open their eyes and see the truth about Obama and his Czars. There are far more educated people in this country than the left realizes, and their defeat is only a matter of time....as in November.
If only one of the 50 states had said, 'send them here', Gitmo would have been closed. The elected officials of every state on both the state and federal level refused to let the prisoners come to their state. There is more than enough blame to go around to both Dems and Reps. Obama did try to close Gitmo and more importantly, he did, as far as I know, stop the torture.
Obama stalled the closing like he stalled ending Don't Ask Don't Tell. He was too busy bailing out his banking buddies!
Obama the candidate said close Gitmo. Obama the President did not.
Obama the president *could* not. The right-wing filibuster, state governors and blue dog democrats in congress made sure of that.
Now this dude can get back to the business of trying to blow us up. Just wait. It'll happen. You think he loves the U.S. and A?
so they going to shoot him next week?
Wat to go Obama administration, this guy will be bombing and terrorizing American soldiers in Afghanistan within 2 months!
Try again..he wont need to pick up a rifle..they will put him to work on propoganda about how he escaped the "Great Devil Satan Lucifer Unholy" America.
He was set free because it was a mistake to put him there in the first place. He was Osama's driver.
You really think Osama discussed tactics with him??
You know this first hand, Bart?
Let's put it this way, Hitlers Driver and Secrtary were never tried as War Criminals. They probably knew a lot but never did anything. The Drivers only job function is to drive and protect the passengers.
Then why did this scum bag plead guilty to terrorism?
"Al Qosi, who was born in Sudan around 1960, left in 1996 to join Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, where he provided services to bin Laden and other al-Qaida members as a driver, bodyguard and cook. In the early 1990s, he trained with jihadists and worked as an accountant for a company affiliated with Osama bin Laden, according to DOD documents."
He was more than just his driver!
President Obama acknowledged at a press conference Friday that his administration has "fallen short" in closing the Guantanamo Bay prison facility as promised.
Really... what promsie has he "fallen long" on?
Lol that made my day.
The promises he made to enemies of the US. Why else decrease our border patrols instead of increasing for obamas friends know the easist places to invade oh to illegal enter.
huh? Obama has INCREASED border patrols.
How long does it take you to make up this stuff?
Check the news on this from today. Things have changed....
Sorry Bart............you are wrong again. Read some other news outlets besides MSN.
Sorry irish 21, but the Border Patrol now has the old Vietnam Era River Boats and the fire power that comes with them. All the machine guns, you should watch World News Tonight instead of Fox, or are you intimidated by Dianne Sawyer.
Why is that always the liberal trump card? "turn off fox news". As opposed to MSN, CNN, CNBC.......yeah those are real honest news sources. Dianne Sawyer? Hard hitting journalist there. Funny thing is that I watch and read all of the major "news" outlets and you still get about 10% of what is actually going on.
As for the border......why are we pulling agents off of the border?
Irish is right - immediately after the Arizona decision Obama ordered troops off the border between AZ and Mexico.
Nice Keds..........Maybe they will give him a job in the White House kitchen
proper attire for a recent rat.. does kind of look like kitchen help.. needs a beard net though.
just a bit of interest.. notice how 10 years of detention is not really classified as 10 years of prison and those 10 years include 2 years of a plea agreement?? and .. doesn't it seem odd... that the United States of America does not negotiate with terrorists.. but we do.. Apologize and work plea agreements with them??
Call me crazy!!
@exodus, he was a prisoner annd had a Lawyer, He was only a driver and cook. This sounds like he was real military planning material. Yes let him go. This is not the same thing as negotiating with the terrorist groupe for example they're holding hostages. different ball game all to gather.
That's what I was thinking PValdes. :) How long will those shoes hold up in Sudan though.
What's wrong with this picture. I thought OBL hid out in mountain caves. What would he need a driver for?
Two words: Drone Target
Stupid to waste a drone when he was already our's.
So, I guess we can sit back and relax, knowing these men will do no harm. That they will make "wonderful" material for re-education upon returning to their homelands. No doubt we shall indeed hear more as election time approaches. Let's hope none who are released ever manage to somehow find a way to visit the United States for a tour. It would look bad if something were to backfire in the Department of Defense long-term plans and the American people have to learn the hard way appearances can be deceiving. Or to put it another way, we end up helping the very ones determined to see our destruction by returning their soldiers to them. Just so they can strike at us again. With our "awesome security check" program no one will slip by right? Hatred has no expiration date for the bearer.Yet re-education should work miracles according to the Defense Department. We surely can trust in those...well maybe.
There is no risk here because Obama made him pinky swear he would not attack again.
He never attacked in the first place.
He was set free because it was a mistake to put him there.. He was Osama's driver.
You really think Osama discussed tactics with him??
Bart, stop posting the same thing over and over in this thread. Are you really that desperate to be seen and heard?
He was more than just his driver. Try reading the article and following up with a little history of the situation. He was charged with material support and terrorism. That's more than being a driver and a cook.
Let's see.
Give haven to 800,000 illegal Mexican aliens.
Shore up hispanic vote? CHECK
Now this .
Shore up muslim vote. CHECK
Reagan gave AMNESTY to 3 million Illegals.
You mad about that?
Mad as HELL. . .
But do you know why Reagan gave that Amnesty? I'll bet NOT
Bart, Reagan gave amnesty to those people in exchange for promises on the left for tougher immigration laws and enforcement in the future.
Naturally he should have never trusted any Democrats to actually follow through on their word. Everyone knows they can't tell the truth or be trusted at their word.
Reagan learned the hard way....and he never trusted your party again...nor should any other American.
Remember, all one has to do is get a plea agreement. No other countries are willing to take these prisoners in. I would say, pinky swear, did time served already, bingo pass go and collect return ticket to freedom. No sweat for these men where life back home is hunger, poor living conditions with violence promoted everywhere but if you killl your enemy and die in the process you go to heaven. Not to mention your family is being glorified for your sacrifice. Given the choice I wonder how many will step right back into their old footsteps. What are we Americans going to do? Put chips in them and keep an eye from the sky? Right. Like we have the money to track them after they are released. That is like catching rats, holding them, feeding them during summer and fall. Then releasing them and not expecting them to re-enter your nice home and warm barn with supplies and live stock when winter hits. With all their buddies in tow.
hey hey, ho ho
BHO has got go!
keep hoping. aint going to happen.
Happening in November Barty boy. Get the tissues ready pal.
Irish
What miracle is going to happen for the GOP that they have a contender in November? Romney is NOT going to be President. Nobody likes Mormons. Even Mormons don't like Mormons.
Sudan's Gov could use this guy in continuing their genocide in Dalfur and the South Sudan. Way to go Soetoro Admnistration in sending a known Al-Queda Terrorist to a Genocidal Radical Islamist Government. It would be much more effective to send this guy to the hungry sharks off the coast of Southern Cuba.
No what they'll do is use this guy for propaganda,, he will be cast as a hero, who was let go by the capitalist pigs who are so stupid to let go a known enemy, and he will tell what ever he learned while in custody.
It really makes me sick to see the United States Air Force giving a free ride to Sudan for a terrorists who conspired with OBL with the organization of 9/11. The government of Sudan will provide this terrorist with a celebrated homecoming and reception, take him to a terrorist camp deep into the heart of Sudan, get him up to speed on modern terrorists networks, and prepare him to led an Al-Queada cell somewhere in the world to kill innocent non-Muslims in the world. Good job to all the American lawyers for providing pro bono legal services to him, taxpayer dollars allocated by our government to provide food and shelter for the past ten years, and our military for giving him a free ride back to Sudan. What a bunch of crap that this would be allowed in the post 9/11 world we live in, while our men and women are giving limbs and lives in Afghanistan.
What kind of government would allow a terrorist to go back and fight in the name of Al-Queda against our people again? Apparently, our government ran by Obama.
The same kind of government that put an RTIID chip in this guy's shinbone, and is just WAITING for him to be taken to the "terrorist camp deep in the heart of Sudan" that you speak of . . . Then rolls the Predators . . .
This will make the new pres of Egypt look good, he did say he was going to all the terrorist in the US released. Wonder if his friend & supporter in DC has been working overtime to help the king terrorist to achieve this goal. And now Iran & the UN wants to stick their noses into our rights to bear arm & protect ourselves.
Ah, nothing like the enemy within to stir a nation.
must be a friend of bush.
You have got to be @!$%#ting me, what the hell is going on here, the @!$%#ing guy is responsible for being part of the terrorist org that killed thousands of red blooded Americans. Shoot the bastard and put him out of his misery . I can not believe what the Obama Administration lets happen. Who the hell is we ? (WE felt that he is ok) was that paul reichler the god dam lawyer who represented the @!$%#er. Something is wrong with the system when you are releasing known terrorists, what's this dude going to do back in Sudan? knit @!$%#en head scarfs, hell no what he will do is give what ever he gleamed and get paid to further terrorists with his release. Now he'll brag how brave he is and how stupid the USA is.>>> ONE MORE TIME YOU GOTTA BE (fill in the blanks)
This is a dead man walking no matter how you look at this. No crime organization would ever just move on from a man that helped the "cops" Guantanamo was just extending his life on this earth!
hopefully he is not planning on any revenge lol
I see Obama's half-brothers are being released to go after the US again.