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The US Department of Defence (DoD) has refused to confirm or deny that the five recently released Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay remained shackled on board the aircraft throughout the journey that brought them to Qatar on June 1. |
Under a prisoner exchange deal between the US and the Afghan Taliban, the five senior Taliban figures, who had been detained in Gitmo prison for 13 years, were handed over to a delegation from Qatar on May 31. At the exact time, American soldier Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, held captive by the Taliban since June 2009, was handed over to a US Special Forces team in Khost,
Afghanistan.
While the Taliban released a video online to show the world exactly how the US soldier was released, the exact circumstances under which the five Taliban leaders were released remains unclear.
When asked whether it was true that the five Taliban members were shackled as per the norm of US military guidelines concerning the transfer of detainees aboard an aircraft, CDR Elissa Smith, Office of the Secretary of Defence, Public Affairs/Press Operations/Pentagon, told Gulf Times that “we don’t discuss the physical security apparatus around detainee transfers.”
Testimonies available from other former Guantanamo detainees have revealed in the past that it was common practice for the US military to not only put shackles on prisoners in their infamous orange jump suits, but at times, they also had dark hoods over their heads.
The Taliban too when approached for an on the record comment on the matter chose to stay silent ‘for now’.
CDR Elissa Smith confirmed, however, that the five released Taliban leaders - Mohamed Fazl Akhund, Noorulallah Noori, Khairullah Khairkhuwa, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Maulvi Mohamed Nabi Omari, who now live in Doha - were transferred to Qatar via the US Air Force C-17
aircraft.
The C-17 is a large military transport aircraft. It is known for strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world with additional roles including tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop duties.
Also, she highlighted the fact that the release was made under an agreement with Qatari authorities. “Based on agreed upon terms, these five detainees were transferred to Qatari custody and are subject to restrictions on their movement and activities.”
The exact restrictions in place were not specified.
A defence official, however, gave the time of arrival in Qatar of the detainees aboard the C-17 at around 1pm on June 1.
She also did not specify what role, if any, did Ambassador James Dobbins, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Tony Blinken, a deputy national security adviser, played in the indirect talks with the Afghan Taliban held through Qatari mediation. “We cannot discuss all the details of the US government inter-agency’s co-ordination efforts to secure the safe release of Sgt. Bergdahl, including those who were in direct consultation with Qatari officials,” she said.
