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Sketchy DOD Report Claims 5% Of Freed Gitmo Detainees 'Reengaged' In 'Terrorist Activity'
We've gotten our hands on the Pentagon report on which the New York Times based its front-pager last week asserting that 1 in 7 Guantanamo detainees "returned" to terrorism.
You can read the document, which the DOD made available to reporters today, here.
The bottom line: Those who have counseled skepticism about the DOD numbers would seem to be vindicated by the actual report.
The report does indeed use the formulation "reengaged" in terrorism. This was the same formulation the Times' Elisabeth Bumiller used in her front-page story -- until the online version of it was changed.
But the Pentagon report does not attempt to establish the original status of the detainees it claims "reengaged" in terrorism. It seems to simply not consider the possibility that, as has been reported by McClatchy, innocent men ended up in Gitmo, and some were radicalized during their imprisonment.
The six-page document says the Defense Intelligence Agency "reported 14 percent as the overall rate of former Guantanamo detainees confirmed or suspected of reengaging in terrorist activities."
The doc breaks down that number as 27 "confirmed" and 47 "suspected" out of 530 total released detainees, as of mid-March 2009. That's 5% confirmed and 9% suspected.
It gives capsule summaries of 11 of the "confirmed" cases. The report claims, for example, that one former detainee, Mohammed Ismail, "carried a letter confirming his status as a Taliban member in good standing" at the time of his recapture in Afghanistan in 2004.
A table gives 29 names (including the 11 summarized cases) of "former GTMO detainees who have reengaged in terrorism." The information provided is scant. A typical entry: "Name: Muhibullah. Nationality: Afghanistan. Repatriated: July 2005. Activity: Association With The Taliban. Status: Suspected."
A couple points here: As the Times noted at the bottom of its story, the Pentagon doesn't even name 45 of the supposed "recidivists." And almost no details are provided for many that are named.
It's also worth stressing the DOD itself distinguishes between "confirmed" and "suspected" case -- a distinction that goes unmentioned in the Times front-pager that was pounced on by the cable channels and the right-wing blogs. The oft-repeated "1 in 7" number is a combination of the confirmed and suspected cases.
Josh
Zachary
What's the recidivism rate in the US prison system?
And anyway, how exactly were they recidivist -- we're they picked up with bomb making materials or trying to board an airplane??
May 26, 2009 9:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Figures don't lie, but liars can figure.
Where is the proof that any of these were "terrorists" in the first place, and if the USA had proof that they were "terrorists", why did the Bush Administration release them?
May 27, 2009 7:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
so 'taliban' = 'terrorist'??
seems like a rather tortured definition.
May 27, 2009 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't the Taliban used to be the Mujahideen when we supported them?
May 27, 2009 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ding ding ding ding. Was it them or was it us? Where did it all go so wrong?
May 27, 2009 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stan:
It all went wrong when "We the People" elected an oilman (Bush) and an oil services rep (Cheney) as our leaders and they decided to use the power of their positions for personal gain - using the US armed forces in an attempt to gain control of the oil and natural gas resources in Central Asia.
The CIA supported this since Afghanistan is a major drug producing country and much of their funding is under the table supported by the transportation and sale of drugs.
The US Armed Forces supported this because armed conflict leads to promotions and greater funding.
The Mossad (Israeli 'intelligence') supported this because it was a way to reduce the growing power of mid-east dictators and therefore would "protect" Israel.
The NeoCons supported this because they consistently support anything Israel wants.
With all this support, it is no wonder the USA is where we are today.
"We the People" recognize all this on an unconscious level since the MSM has been complicit in pushing the agenda's of these special interest groups. This unconscious recognition is the reason the Republican party is at its lowest approval rating ever and is still dropping. It is why the Democrats are now in power in Washington. "We the People" are finally waking up to the abuses of the Republicans ans the Bush Administration and are saying "Stop it!"
Ubfortunately, Obama, while making promises for "Change We Can Believe In", is changing nothing of importance.
Israel is still driving US MidEast foreign policy, The Armed Forces are still in Iraq and Afghanistan - probably still in Iran on a covert basis, The CIA is reaping record harvests of Opium in Afghanistan, and Halliburton and KBR are still getting massive US Government contracts for shoddy work in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush holdover Justice Department lawyers are getting cases against high profile Republicans thrown out for "Prosecutorial Misconduct" while the bogus prosecution of Don Seigelman is allowed to stand, and the Financial Sector "Bailout" (giveaway of current and future taxpayers dollars) is continuing at a record pace.
"We the People" are so screwed.
May 28, 2009 8:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
To cover up the horrors of 9/11,the U.S.GOV. had to create enemy perpetrators before the act. A group of foreign characters had been established to be blamed for hijacking 4 planes for that day.
Within hours after the Pentagon was hit, the propaganda machine had "convicted" 19 terrorists commanded by Osama bin Laden from somewhere in Afghanistan.
Like bread-crumbs dropped by the old wicked witch,clues had already been dropped for the "intrepid investigators" to diligently discover in order to prove their guilt.
The entire Country of Afghanistan had to be attacked in order to wipe out Al Qaeda... the bin Laden terrorists.
To emphasize the U.S. determination of its "War on Terror",it began capturing (kidnapping) Al qaeda suspects for 'questioning'.
In order to get a confession from someone that isn't guilty of a crime,torture is useful. That is why it was not only used, but justified.
Machiavelli is live and well; but just as sick as ever!
May 28, 2009 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink