The Khalden training camp (also transliterated Khaldan) was one of the oldest and best-known military training camps in Afghanistan. It was located in the mountains of eastern Paktia Province, near Tora Bora.[1]
While some reporters repeat descriptions offered by U.S. intelligence officials that the camp was an al-Qaeda training camp, other reporters note that the camp was set up during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, with the support of the Central Intelligence Agency.[2][3][4] Having attended one of these camps has triggered suspicion for many of the detainees in the War on Terror. The Khalden training camp was led by Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, who was captured in late 2001.[5]
Ahmed Ressam, the Millennium Bomber, said he attended the camp using the alias "Nabil", beginning in April 1998 for five to six months.[6][7] He said Khalden Camp then generally hosted 50–100 trainees at any time, and he trained there in light weapons, handguns, small machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPGs), explosives (including TNT, C4 plastic explosives, and black plastic explosives), poisons (including cyanide), poison gas, sabotage, target selection, urban warfare, tactics (including assassinations), and security.[6][7][8] Trainees were from Jordan, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, and France.[6] During the time he was there, he met Zacarias Moussaoui.[7][8]
During the early years of the War in Afghanistan, the Bush administration described the Khalden Camp as an al-Qaeda training facility, an assertion used as evidence of an alleged connection to al-Qaeda for Abu Zubaydah and more than 50 other men held as enemy combatants at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.[9] Since 2006, however, this allegation has been contested by the 9/11 Commission Report, Brynjar Lia, head of the international terrorism and global jihadism at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, and unclassified records from the detainees' tribunal reviews (CSRT)s at Guantanamo.[9][10][11][12][13]
Zubaydah testified in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal (CSRT) that the Khalden Camp was at such odds with al-Qaeda and bin Laden that it was closed by the Taliban in 2000, at bin Laden's request.[9] This account was corroborated by two other detainees, Noor Uthman Muhammed, alleged by the U.S. Government to have been the emir, or leader, of the Khalden Camp; and Khalid Sulayman Jaydh Al Hubayshi, a close friend of Zubaydah.[10][11] In addition, Muhammed's charge sheet refers to the closing of the Khalden camp at the request of terrorist leaders.[14]
Brynjar Lia wrote in his 2008 book that an ideological conflict, between the leaders of the Khalden Camp and the Taliban and al-Qaeda, led to the closing of the Khalden Camp.[13] Zubaydah, Khalid Sulayman Jaydh Al Hubayshi, and Noor Uthman Muhammed confirmed this divide in their CSRT testimony.[9][10][11] Of the 57 detainees the U.S. Government claims are associated with the Khalden Camp, 27 have been released, including Zubaydah's friend Al Hubayshi.[15]
Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı, which is the Turkish media arm of the Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party, wrote a biography on one of their members, Garib (Asadullah) Turkistani in 1997 who went to Pakistan, was tutored by Abdullah Azzam in religious learning in camp Khalden in order to join the Taliban because he wanted Shariah. He moved to Kabul to enlist in the Mujahideen. He became part of Liwa al Ansar and was injured in a car accident while fleeing the American invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. He died while fighting against American troops who they called "Crusaders".[16]
The Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party's "Islamic Turkistan" magazine in its 5th edition published an obituary of its member Turghun (Ibn Umar al Turkistani) speaking of his time training at the Al Khaldan training camp and his meeting with Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi. The Uyghurs in Afghanistan fought against the American bombing and the Northern Alliance after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Ibn Umar died fighting against Americans at Qala-i-Jangi that month.[17][18]
Individuals alleged to have attended the Khalden training camp
[edit]Abdullah Khadr[19] |
|
Abdurahman Khadr[20][21] |
|
Ahmed Ajaj[23] |
|
Ahmed Ressam[24] |
|
Feroz Abbasi[25] |
|
Gouled Hassan Dourad[26] |
|
Ibrahim Elgabrowny[23] |
|
Mahmoud Abouhalima[23] |
|
Majed Moqed[27] |
|
Mohamed Rashid al-Owhali[25][28] |
|
Mokhtar Belmokhtar[29] |
|
Mushabib al-Hamlan[30][31] |
|
Omar al-Faruq[25] |
|
Rafiq Bin Bashir Bin Jalud Al Hami[32] | |
Ramzi Yousef[23] |
|
Richard Reid[25] |
|
Saajid Badat[25] |
|
Satam al-Suqami[33] |
|
Zacarias Moussaoui[34] |
|
Mohammed Abd Al Al Qadir[35] |
|
Khalid Sulaymanjaydh Al Habayshi[36] |
|
Noor Uthman Muhammaed[37] |
|
Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri[38] |
|
Abdullah Ali Al Utaybi[39] |
|
Ridah Bin Saleh Al Yazidi[40] |
|
Hisham Sliti[41] |
|
Ahmed Hassan Jamil Suleyman[42] |
|
Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri[38] |
|
Abdul Bin Mohammed Bin Abess Ourgy[43] |
|
Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi[44] |
|
Omar Nasiri[45][46] |
|
Idris Ahmed Abdu Qader Idris[47] |
|
Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser[48] |
|
Lufti Bin Ali[49] |
|
Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari[50][51] |
|
Adil Charkaoui[52] |
|
Raouf Hannachi[52] |
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Camps Are Rubble but Their Threat Remains". Los Angeles Times. 18 December 2001.
- ^
Seth G. Jones (2012). Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida since 9/11: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida since 9/11. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393084023. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
The guesthouses were used as temporary residences by foreign fighters on their way to -- or back from -- the Khaldan camp. Khaldan was not under the control of al Qa'ida, though Zubaydah knew many of the members.
- ^ Kevin Ryan (2012-10-17). "Abu Zubaydah Poses a Real Threat to al-Qaeda". Foreign Policy Journal. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06.
- ^ Son of Al Qaeda, Frontline (PBS)
- ^ The Terrorist Within Archived 2013-05-14 at the Wayback Machine, The Seattle Times
- ^ a b c "U.S. v. Haquari, Examination" (PDF). USDC SDNY. July 3, 2001. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (February 2, 2010). "U.S. v. Ressam" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ a b "Ressam Testimony in Mokhtar Haouari Trial". Southern District of New York. July 2001. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Abu Zubaydah Unclassified Verbatim Combatant Status Review Tribunal Transcript" (PDF). Department of Defense. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-14.
- ^ a b c Khalid Sulaymanjaydh Al Hubayshi Unclassified Verbatim Combatant Status Review Tribunal Transcript, pp. 65–73, Department of Defense Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Noor Uthamn Muhammed Unclassified Verbatim Combatant Status Review Tribunal Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, p. 15, Department of Defense
- ^ 9/11 Commission Report Archived 2016-04-23 at the Wayback Machine, 22 July 2006
- ^ a b Brynjar Lia, Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al-Qaida Strategist Abu Mus'ab al-Suri pg. 242–243, Columbia University Press, 2008
- ^ "Noor Uthamn Muhammed Charge Sheets", Department of Defense Website
- ^ "New York Times Guantanamo Docket". Projects.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
- ^ "Türkistan İslam Cemaati Mücahidi Şehit Esedullah Türkistan'ın Hayati". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. Archived from the original on 2017-04-09.
- ^ "(رحمه اللّٰه) صفحات من تاريخ بطل الشيخ الشهيد ابن عمر التركستاني" (PDF). تركستان الإسلامية. No. السنة الثاني العدد الخامس. January 2010. pp. 10–13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-08.
- ^ "Türkistan İslam Cemaati Komutanı İbni Ömer et-Türkistani'nin Hayatı". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. 18 January 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017.
- ^ 'I was never in al-Qaeda,' newly freed Khadr says: Released after 14 months in Pakistani jails, he calls himself an aspiring businessman, The Globe and Mail, December 9, 2005 [dead link]
- ^ Khadr clears Charkaoui, casts doubt on case Archived 2008-02-10 at the Wayback Machine, press release from Justice for Mohamed Harkat, July 14, 2004
- ^ Ordinary lad — or jihad conscript? Archived 2005-03-10 at the Wayback Machine mirrored Toronto Star, December 2, 2003
- ^ Testimony of Abdurahman Khadr as a witness in the trial against Charkaoui, July 13, 2004
- ^ a b c d Another Angle on al-Zawahiri's Call to Action[permanent dead link], Stratfor, December 21, 2005
- ^ Going to Camp Archived 2005-11-01 at the Wayback Machine, Seattle Times, July 7, 2002
- ^ a b c d e The Khaldan Alumni (.pdf)[dead link], Toronto Star, December 9, 2005
- ^ "Biographies of High Value Terrorist Detainees Transferred to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay" (PDF) (Press release). Office of the Director of National Intelligence. September 6, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
- ^ 9/11 Commission Report – notes to chapter 7], 9/11 Commission Report
- ^ Hijacking suspect 'was bin Laden bodyguard', The Guardian, September 30, 2001
- ^ Jacinto, Leela (27 September 2010). "Key figures in al Qaeda's North African branch" (PDF). CIMIC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ World Trade Center and Pentagon Attacks, Global Security
- ^ 911 Commission: Notes to Chapter 7, 9/11 Commission
- ^ Summarized transcript (.pdf), from Rafiq Bin Bashir Bin Jalud Al Hami's Administrative Review Board hearing – page 151
- ^ 9/11 Commission – notes to chapter 7, 9/11 Commission
- ^ Indictment of ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI, US Department of Justice
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Mohammed Abd Al Al Qadir Administrative Review Board – page 18
- ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf) from Khalid Sulaymanjaydh Al Habayshi Combatant Status Review Tribunal – pages 65–70
- ^ Summary of Evidence memo (.pdf) Archived 2006-07-31 at the Wayback Machine prepared for Noor Uthman Muhammaed's Combatant Status Review Tribunal – October 19, 2004 page 264
- ^ a b Summary of Evidence memo (.pdf) Archived 2006-07-31 at the Wayback Machine prepared for Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri's Combatant Status Review Tribunal – October 21, 2004 page 148
- ^ Summary of Evidence memo (.pdf) Archived 2006-07-31 at the Wayback Machine prepared for Abdullah Ali Al Utaybi's Combatant Status Review Tribunal – September 28, 2004 page 237
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Ridah Bin Saleh Al Yazidi Administrative Review Board, May 4, 2005 – page 51
- ^ Summary of Evidence (.pdf) Archived 2006-07-31 at the Wayback Machine prepared for Hisham Sliti's Combatant Status Review Tribunals – November 19, 2004 – page 62
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Ahmed Hassan Jamil Suleyman Administrative Review Board – page 45
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Abdul Bin Mohammed Bin Abess Ourgy Administrative Review Board, May 2, 2005 – page 48
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) Archived 2007-12-04 at the Wayback Machine of Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi Administrative Review Board – pages 59–61
- ^ Reid Morden, Running with, and from, al-Qaeda Archived 2009-05-01 at the Wayback Machine, The Globe and Mail, November 25, 2006
- ^ Infiltrating Al-Qaeda: At a terrorist camp, a French spy meets the battling Khadr brothers, Maclean's, November 27, 2006 [dead link]
- ^ Summary of Evidence memo (.pdf) Archived 2006-07-31 at the Wayback Machine prepared for Idris Ahmed Abdu Qader Idris's Combatant Status Review Tribunal – September 30, 2004 page 246
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser Administrative Review Board May 18, 2005 – page 35
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Lufti Bin Ali Administrative Review Board – page 19
- ^ documents (.pdf)[permanent dead link] from Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari's Combatant Status Review Tribunal
- ^ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) Archived 2007-12-04 at the Wayback Machine of Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari Administrative Review Board – page 31
- ^ a b Dozens of Canadians join Jihad terror camps Immigrants recruited, RCMP says, Justice for Mohamed Harkat