The prisoner, Asadullah Haroon Gul, often known as Haroon Al Afghani, was born in Afghanistan and has been detained within the Guantanamo jail since 2007.
“DOD, supported by different components of the US authorities, transferred him out of Guantanamo Bay, facilitating his repatriation to his native nation, Afghanistan,” the administration official stated. “He flew on a US plane to Doha after which we labored with the Taliban and the Qatar authorities to facilitate his switch to Kabul.”
Later on Friday the Pentagon confirmed the switch had taken place.
“The Department of Defense introduced at this time the switch of Asadullah Haroon al-Afghani often known as ‘Gul’ from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to facilitate his repatriation to Afghanistan, his native nation,” the Pentagon stated in a press release.
“The Department of Defense, in coordination with different USG departments, transferred Mr. Gul in accordance with the U.S. District of Columbia’s order granting his Writ of Habeas Corpus, ruling the United States now not has a authorized foundation to justify the continued detention of Mr. Gul,” the assertion added.
The switch additionally comes because the Taliban management within the nation has prevented ladies above sixth grade type going to highschool, and because the nation faces an financial and meals disaster that’s anticipated to kill hundreds.
US diplomats who work on the US workplace for Afghan affairs in Doha engaged with Taliban officers on this matter — which they thought of an space of mutual curiosity — to determine the logistics of how one can make this work, the official defined. There was not any greater degree engagement with the Taliban required, the official stated.
Late final 12 months, a federal choose dominated that Gul’s detention was illegal and the Periodic Review Board, which is a panel of officers from totally different US nationwide safety businesses, additionally cleared him for switch. Those two choices triggered the Biden administration to start engaged on repatriating Gul.
Gul, an Afghan nationwide who grew up largely in a refugee camp in Shamshato, Pakistan, was accused of being a member of an extremist group referred to as Hezb-e-Islami/Gulbuddin, which was generally known as HIG on the time. It has since grow to be generally known as Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA). HIA was deemed an “related drive” of al Qaeda by the US authorities.
Gul conceded that he had been a member of HIG, now generally known as HIA, on the time, however his protection attorneys argued that the group entered right into a peace treaty with the Afghanistan authorities in 2016.
Gul has been detained at Guantanamo since June 2007.
“A courtroom made the choice that we wanted to maneuver this particular person someplace and probably the most possible possibility, probably the most lifelike possibility is mostly going to be repatriation and right here looks as if it might effectively show to be repatriation,” stated a supply accustomed to the matter.
Just a few elements performed into the administration’s efforts to repatriate Gul to Afghanistan, even whereas the Taliban is presently in charge of the nation. One of these elements: there are not any US service member nonetheless in Afghanistan after the US withdrew from the nation final fall.
The Taliban additionally gave assurances to the US authorities that Gul wouldn’t emerge as a menace to the US homeland or to American allies, the US official stated.
“We had conversations about how necessary it’s that this particular person doesn’t pose menace to the US or to our allies. We obtained assurances again,” the official stated.
The switch of Gul to Afghanistan comes as tensions between the US and the Taliban stay excessive over Mark Frerichs, a veteran and contractor who was kidnapped in Kabul in late January 2020, is believed to be held by the Haqqani community, which is an in depth affiliate of the Taliban.
“We additionally should discover a solution to get Mark dwelling. We are working diligently on that. We hope there’s excellent news within the weeks to return on getting him dwelling finally,” the official defined.
The Periodic Review Board, which first decided that Gul ought to be cleared to depart, is a authorities entity created through the Obama administration to find out whether or not detainees being held on the jail had been responsible or not. The Biden administration continues to depend on the board to dictate which prisoners ought to be despatched dwelling.
With Gul’s switch, 36 detainees stay on the jail, with greater than a dozen cleared for switch.
“They’ll be continued efforts to do what comes after these suggestions, which is method international locations whether or not their international locations of origin or the place that is not possible or accessible or advisable different international locations and search to work out repatriation or switch preparations which might be mutually passable,” the supply accustomed to the matter defined.
CNN’s Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.