Said Ali al-Shihri
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Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri | |
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Born | 1971[1] |
Died | 2013 | (aged 41–42)
Nationality | Saudi |
Other names | Said Ali al-Shihri |
Known for | Former Deputy Emir of AQAP |
Military career | |
Allegiance | al-Qaeda (1990's–2013) |
Service/ | AQAP (2009–2013) |
Years of service | 1990's–2013 |
Rank | Deputy Emir of AQAP |
Battles/wars | Yemen Insurgency |
Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri (1971–2013) was a Saudi Arabian deputy leader of the terrorist group
Following his repatriation to Saudi custody he was enrolled in a rehabilitation and reintegration program. Following his release, he traveled to Yemen.In January 2009, Al-Shihri appeared in a YouTube video, with three other men, announcing the founding of
On 24 December 2009, it was reported that he may have been killed in an
On 20 September 2012, sources close to AQAP told the
On 21 October 2012, al-Shihri released an audio tape confirming that he was not killed in the drone strike.[12][13][14] On 22 January 2013, it was reported that al-Shihri had died of wounds from a drone strike in late 2012.[15][16]
On 17 July 2013, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula confirmed that he had been killed in a U.S. drone strike instead of succumbing to wounds.[17][18] In August 2014, the group revealed in a video that the drone strike that killed Shihri took place in 2013 and that he had survived the 2012 drone strike but was severely wounded.[19]
Early life
The Yemen Post reports al Shihri did not finish high school.
Al-Shihri said that he was in Afghanistan to purchase carpets for his family's furniture business.[20] He denied any knowledge of weapons or participation in hostilities.[20]
In 2001, al-Shiri left Saudi Arabia and went to
Capture
Al-Shihri was captured at the Pakistan border crossing in December 2001 near
He claimed he wanted to give the money to the Red Crescent charity organization, but according to the US, he used the money to finance the travel for other fighters traveling from Bahrain to Afghanistan.[22]
Combatant Status Review
Initially the
Detainees do not have the right to a lawyer before the CSRTs or to access the evidence against them. The CSRTs are not bound by the rules of evidence that would apply in court, and the government’s evidence is presumed to be “genuine and accurate.” However, unclassified summaries of relevant evidence may be provided to the detainee and each detainee has an opportunity to present “reasonably available” evidence and witnesses.[24]
From July 2004 through March 2005, a CSRT was convened to make a determination whether each captive had been correctly classified as an "enemy combatant". Said Ali al-Shihri was among the one-third of prisoners for whom there was no indication they chose to participate in their tribunals.[25]
In the landmark case Boumediene v. Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court found that CSRTs are not an adequate substitute for the constitutional right to challenge one's detention in court, in part because they do not have the power to order detainees released.[26] The Court also found that "there is considerable risk of error in the tribunal’s findings of fact."[27]
A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for the tribunal, listing the alleged facts that led to his detainment. His memo accused him of the following:[20][21][22][28]
- he traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan, after 11 September 2001, with $1,900, that he planned to give to the Red Crescentcharity;
- he was an "al Qaida travel facilitator", who funded other fighters, and guided them on how to cross the Afghanistan–Iran border;
- he was on a watch list because he was suspected of helping Saudis acquire false travel documents, for traveling to Afghanistan;
- he trained at the Libyan camp north of Kabul;
- he was instructed to assassinate someone, via a fatwa;
- his leg was wounded during the American aerial bombardment of Afghanistan.
Administrative Review Board
Detainees whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal labeled them "enemy combatants" were scheduled for annual Administrative Review Board hearings. These hearings were designed to assess the threat a detainee might pose if released or transferred, and whether there were other factors that warranted his continued detention.[29]
2005 Summary of evidence memo
The three-page
2006 Summary of Evidence memo
The four page
The 2006 memo was also more specific about where he crossed—near
2007 Summary of evidence memo
The three-page Summary of Evidence memo prepared for his 2007 annual review listed just eleven "primary factors favor[ing] continued detention" and six "primary factors favor[ing] release or transfer".[28] No new allegations were added. On 9 January 2009, the Department of Defense published two heavily redacted memos, from Al-Shihri's Board, to
The Board's recommendation was unanimous The Board's recommendation was redacted. England decision, made on 23 July 2007, was also redacted.Guantanamo medical records
On 16 March 2007, the Department of Defense published records of the captives' height and weights.[32] Al Shihri's height was reported as 62 inches tall.[6] His weight was recorded 46 times between his arrival on 21 January 2002, when he weighed 138 pounds, and 19 November 2006, when he weighed 171 pounds.
Repatriation
On 25 November 2008, the Department of Defense released a list of the dates captives departed from Guantanamo.[33] According to that list he was repatriated to Saudi custody on 9 November 2007, with thirteen other men. The records published from the captives' annual Administrative Reviews show his repatriation was the subject of formal internal review procedures in 2005, 2006 and 2007.[34][35][36] But the Board's recommendations from the 2007 review—the only one to be published—were redacted. The conclusion the
At least ten other men in his release group were not repatriated through the formal review procedure.[34][35][36]
Peter Taylor writing for the BBC News called the Saudis repatriated on 9 November 2007 with al-Shihri, "batch 10".[37] He wrote that the BBC's research had found this batch to be a problematic cohort, and that al Shiri and four other men from this batch were named on the
Post-release
After Sa'id's repatriation to Saudi custody he went through a Saudi rehabilitation and reintegration program for former jihadists.[3][39][40] This program was partially sponsored by the United States.
Co-founded Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
In January 2009, after Sa'id's release from the Saudi rehabilitation program he appeared in several jihadist videos, including one where he was identified as second in command of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.[3][7] He appeared in a threatening
On 26 January 2009, the Saudi Gazette published a report based on interviews with Al Shihri's father, and current wife.[43] Jaber Aal Khath'am Al-Shihri said his son had spent Ramadan with his family.[44] The elder Al Shihri said his son was a primary-school dropout, that he had been married twice, and had a young daughter. He said that his son had been troubled by memories of his detention, where his son told him "he thought about death all the time." He said that, after his release, his son had hoped to find a job as an imam. He said that he had added an addition to his family home for his son and his family to live in. However, after Ramadan, his son left his pregnant wife and child with his in-laws, and disappeared.
The Saudi Gazette reported that his wife confirmed his father's account.[43] She told the Gazette he had been acting normally, prior to his disappearance. "He used to smile and laugh and was generally happy." She described the 3000 Saudi Riyal monthly stipend he received from the Saudi government, following his release, as "an honor."
She told the paper that her husband's sister had phoned her, after his disappearance, and told her he had requested she get a cell phone, so he could talk to her, but then he had not phoned.[43]
The Saudi Gazette reported that one of al-Shihri's brothers-in-law,
While al-Shihri's wife had told the Saudi Gazette she suspected nothing, his father said visits from other former captives disturbed him, and he attributed his son's defection to their influence. He said that he regretted his son had not died from the wounds he suffered in Afghanistan.[43]
I say it loud and clear that my son is a deviant member of society who must be removed. He was not upright like the rest of the Gitmo returnees who benefited from the lessons of the past and showed their gratefulness for the assistance they were provided.[43]
Muhammad al-Oufi's mother told the Saudi Gazette that her son's radicalization was due to Sa'id's influence.[45]
Called upon Somali pirates to "increase your attacks upon Crusaders"
On 16 April 2009,
To our steadfast brethren in Somalia, take caution and prepare yourselves. Increase your strikes against the crusaders at sea and in Djibouti.
CBS reported that there had been little concrete sign of a collaboration between Al Qaeda and the Somali pirates, but that the message also promised
Listed as a former captive who "re-engaged in terrorism"
On 27 May 2009, the Defense Intelligence Agency published a "fact sheet" listing captives who "re-engaged in terrorism".[47] The fact sheet listed al Awfi and Al Shihri.
Linked to the murder of Christian missionaries in Yemen
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Fox News also quoted Gregory Johnsen, editor of "Islam and Insurgency in Yemen":[48]
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While Fox News acknowledged no group had taken responsibility for the murders it speculated that the possible involvement of al-Shihri, a graduate of the Saudi jihadist rehabilitation program, would complicate
Released a video requesting donations
On 30 September 2009, the
Reported killed in an air strike
On 24 December 2009, ABC News reported that an air strike in Yemen had killed senior members of al Qaida.[51] They reported that the dead might include Nasir al-Wuhayshi, al-Shihri, and Anwar al-Awlaki.
Reported to be in Yemeni custody
On 19 January 2010, Yemen security authorities reported they had captured al-Shiri. He was reported to have tried to evade a newly established roadblock, and to have been apprehended, with another man, after they were injured when their speeding vehicle flipped over.[citation needed]
Release of an audio recording in February 2010
The Yemen Post reported that al Shihri released an audio recording made after the reports of his death and capture.[8] They speculated that the audio tape indicated that the reports that the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Nasser al Wahayshi, was killed on 24 December 2009 attack. Al Shihri's audio took credit for Nigerian Umar Umar Farouk Abdulmutalib's attempted airliner bombing. He threatened that the group had scheduled operation to "control Bab Al-Mandab strait". The Yemen Post also reported that al Shihri claimed the USA was planning to insert US troops into Yemen to directly attack his group.
The arrest of 100 suspect followers announced in March 2010
On 25 March 2010, Saudi officials announced that they had arrested 100 suspected followers of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.[52]
Named in a custody dispute
In August 2009, the first husband of al-Shihri's wife Umm Hajir Al-Azdi, named Saoud Aal Shaye' al-Qahtani, launched a child custody claim, noting that his former wife was a believer in the practice of takfir (declaring others apostates from Islam), and had taken their 11-year-old son to Yemen with al-Shihri in May 2009.[53] al-Qahtani provided evidence of her inability to raise his son, noting that she was married to al-Shihri, her younger brother had also been imprisoned at Guantanamo, three of her brothers were allegedly "militant jihadists", and her second husband had been killed by Saudi security forces in 2004.[53]
Reports of death
On 22 January 2013, members of al-Shihri's family told Al Arabiya that he had died earlier that day after succumbing to wounds from a previous airstrike.[16] An Al Qaeda spokesman identified as Abdulla bin Muhammad stated on his Twitter account that al-Shihri died "after a long journey in fighting the Zio-Crusader campaign."[54] It was not known exactly how he died and under what circumstances,[16] though his family alleged the drone strike took place sometime in the second week of December 2012.[16] On 9 April, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's media arm Al-Malahem Foundation released an audio message of al-Shihri,[55] accompanied by a previously unreleased photo,[55] and an Al Qaeda cleric identified as Abu-Saad Al-Aamly denied reports of al-Shihri's death.[56]
Death
On 17 July 2013, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula confirmed that al-Shihri was killed in a U.S. drone strike. The announcement, posted on militant websites, gave no date for the death.[18] In August 2014, the group revealed that al-Shihri was killed in 2013 and had survived the 2012 drone strike, but lost his right eye, right ear and a part of his skull.[57]
References
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- ^ a b c d e Worth, Robert F. (22 January 2009). "Freed by U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
- ^ "List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through May 15, 2006" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 15 May 2006. Works related to List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through 15 May 2006 at Wikisource
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JTF-GTMO (16 March 2006). "Heights, weights, and in-processing dates". Department of Defense. Archived from the originalon 31 January 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
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- ^ a b c Gregory D. Johnsen (24 July 2012). "A Profile of AQAP's Upper Echelon". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
As the deputy commander and highest-ranking Saudi in AQAP, al-Shihri played a key role in recruiting other Saudis and fundraising in the kingdom. In late 2009, a cell phone video of al-Shihri surfaced in which he made a plea for money from wealthy Saudi donors. In an effort to avoid detection the video never left the phone on which it was recorded. Instead, an AQAP courier traveled throughout Saudi Arabia showing the video message to different individuals.
- ^ a b c "Saeed Al-Shihri, prisoner No. 327 at Guantanamo bay: No. 2 of Al-Qaeda Organization ... Guantanamo: creating the most dangerous enemies of America". Yemen Post. 22 February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
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{{cite news}}
:|first=
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- ^ OARDEC (16 June 2005). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
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OARDEC (31 March 2006). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Al Shihri, Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
- ^ OARDEC (1 December 2004). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- Al Shihri, Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
- ^ "Q&A: What next for Guantanamo prisoners?". BBC News. 21 January 2002. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
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... the procedural protections afforded to the detainees in the CSRT hearings ... fall well short of the procedures and adversarial mechanisms that would eliminate the need for habeas corpus review.
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OARDEC (5 June 2007). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Said Ali Shari" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. 16–18. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
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Yousef Mohammed Mubarak al-Jubairi al-Shahri (#85 and ISN 114) is the brother of Saad al-Shahri (#34 on the June 2005 list of 36 most wanted), and is married to the sister of Said al-Shahri (#31 and ISN 372). In a further family connection, Abdul Ilah Mustafa Mohammed al-Jubeiri al-Shahri (#38) is believed to be a cousin of Said al-Shahri (#31 and ISN 372).
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- ^ Ramadan fell in October this year.
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Judith Miller (25 March 2010). "Suspects in Plot on Saudi Sites Took Orders From Al Qaeda in Yemen, Official Says". Fox News. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
Al-Turki did not dispute press reports indicating that members of the two suicide cells had been exchanging coded e-mails about the planned strikes with a man in Yemen whom the accounts called "Abu Hajer." One Saudi official said "Abu Hajer," which in Arabic means "father of Hajer," is believed to be a nom de guerre for Said Al Shihri, a Saudi leader of AQAP.
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