In late August, the Obama administration transferred two Syrian detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Portugal. Judging by the few press accounts about the transfer, no one seems to have batted an eyelash at the decision. That is curious because at least one of the two, Moammar Badawi Dokhan, has allegedly pledged to kill Americans upon release. In a May 24, 2007, memo prepared for one of Dokhan’s administrative review board (ARB) hearings at Gitmo, U.S. intelligence authorities summarized the Syrian’s animus for America and loyalty to al Qaeda.
Prior to being detained at Gitmo, Dokhan was allegedly an ideologue who traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan to wage jihad after being persuaded by “images posted in his mosque.” While in custody, he reportedly admitted that “he fought in Afghanistan and was a leader in charge of soldiers.” Among the evidence accumulated against Dokhan were captured lists of al Qaeda and Taliban members. One such list included Dokhan’s name on a roster of “captured Mujahedin associated with a high-ranking al Qaeda operative.” It is not clear why Dokhan was approved for transfer, or what pieces of evidence were counted in his favor. The Obama Justice Department simply stated that the “interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review” of the two Syrians’ cases. The DOJ also said that the U.S. “has coordinated with the government of Portugal to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with the government of Portugal regarding these detainees.” Given Dokhan’s alleged promise to kill Americans if he were released, we can only hope that the government of Portugal keeps him away from any vacationing infidels. Update: Tim Sumner of 911familiesforamerica.org points out this language in the AP account I linked to above: “Portuguese officials said the men did not face charges and would not be subject to any travel restrictions once they obtain permanent visas.” That is, Dokhan will be free to wander around Europe and elsewhere – not just Portugal. Why weren’t travel restrictions placed on him? Is anyone in the mainstream press going to ask the Obama administration for some transparency on this? Does Dokhan no longer wish to kill Americans?
