Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Ismael Ali Bakush (2007-05-18)

UNCLASSIFIED Department of Defense Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
	18 May 2007

To:	ISMAEL ALI BAKUSH
Subject:	Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Ismael Ali Bakush

1.

An Administrative Review Board will be convened to review your case to determine if your continued detention is necessary.

2.

The Administrative Review Board will conduct a comprehensive review of all reasonably available and relevant information regarding your case. At the conclusion of this review the Board will make a recommendation to: (1) release you to your home state; (2) transfer you to your home state, with conditions agreed upon by the United States and your home state; or (3) continue your detention under United States control.

3.

The following primary factors favor continued detention:

a. Commitment

1. The detainee stated that in 1991, while in Saudi Arabia, he decided to travel to Afghanistan to help support the Mujahedin.
2. The detainee fought against the Soviet backed Najeeb Allah government until it collapsed. The detainee then returned to Torkhuxn, Afghanistan, where he remained until 1994.
3. In 1997, after several years Jiving in different countries, the detainee returned to Afghanistan and joined the Taliban.
4. The detainee stated he went to Afghanistan to help the Taliban fight the Northern Alliance.
5. The detainee admitted he was a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
6. The detainee and his group would fight sporadically whenever there was a fight between the Taiiban and the Northern Alliance.

b. Training

1. In Afghanistan, the detainee attended the Kun Sayaf Training Camp, where he received training an the Kalashnikov rifle, rocket propelled grenades, and the Seminov pistol.
2. The detainee received training at the al Ghanad Camp in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
3. The detainee specialized in electronics, energy, and conductive circuits, and was considered an expert with explosives.

c. Connections/Associations

1. In 2001, the detainee provided training to an al Qaida operative and a group of Mujahedin on electronics and explosives at a guest house in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2. The detainee's name was found on media associated with al Qaida.
3. The detainee provided military training at camps in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and Kabul, Afghanistan. The detainee also participated in building and equipping a training camp in Kabul, Afghanistan.
4. The detainee was a member of the military committee of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
5. While in Afghanistan, the detainee stayed in a safe house owned by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
6. In 1999, the detainee and four other Libyan Islamic Fighting Group members moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, and stayed in the town of Wazeer Akbar Khan, a neighborhood for Arabs.

d. Other Relevant Data

1. In Saudi Arabia, the detainee was arrested for assaulting a woman.
2. In 1997, the detainee was arrested by the Sudanese government and told to leave the country. The detainee flew to Damascus, Syria, where he was subsequently arrested for being a spy for Israel.
3. The detainee was released by the Syrian government and traveled to Zarka, Jordan, where he stayed for three to four months with members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
4. The detainee stated the reason he decided to fight with the Taliban was because he lived in Afghanistan both prior to Taliban control and after Taliban control. Prior to Taliban control there were robberies,. thefts, and fights between groups, but after the Taliban took over, the area became safe.
5. The detainee stated that prior to the events of 11 September 2001, he had no feelings towards the United States, and considered the United States like any other country. The detainee's main concern was Libya and the overthrow of Khadaffi.
6. The detainee stated he differentiates between the Taliban and al Qaida. The detainee considers the Taliban a state, while he sees al Qaida as an organization.

4.

The following primary factors favor release or transfer:

a.	The detainee stated that at no time did he conduct any operations against American Forces.
b.	The detainee stated he does not blame anyone for his current situation and it is a result of his own personal struggle. Additionally, the detainee stated he never swore allegiance to any extremist groups, and does not know where he wants to go if released.
c.	The detainee stated he would like to be released to any non Arabic country but Libya. The detainee believes the government of Libya would not treat him well and that they would put him in jail because of his political outspokenness.
d.	The detainee stated he would like to find a wife and start a family. He would work in any job that would allow him to support his family.

5.

You will be afforded a meaningful opportunity to be heard and to present information to the Board; this includes an opportunity to be physically present at the proceeding. The Assisting Military Officer (AMO) will assist you in reviewing all relevant and reasonably available unclassified information regarding your case. The AMO is not an advocate for or against continued detention, nor may the AMO form a confidential relationship with you or represent you in any other matter.