Report on Guantanamo Detainees: A Profile of 517 Detainees through Analysis of Department of Defense Data

Abstract

The media and public fascination who is detained at Guantanamo and why has been fueled in large measure by refusal of Government, on grounds of national security, to provide much information about individuals and charges against them. The information available to date has been anecdotal and erratic, drawn largely from interviews few detainees who have been released or from statements or court filings by their attorneys in pending habeas corpus proceedings that Government has not declared classified. This Report is first effort to provide a more detailed picture of who Guantanamo detainees are, how they ended up there, and purported bases for their enemy combatant designation. The data in this Report is based almost entirely upon United States Government's own documents. This Report provides a window into Government's success detaining only those that President has called the worst of worst. Among findings of Report: 1. Fifty-five percent (55%) of detainees are not determined to have committed any hostile acts against United States or its coalition allies. 2. Only 8% of detainees were characterized as al Qaeda fighters. Of remaining detainees, 40% have no definitive connection al Qaeda at all and 18% are have no definitive affiliation either al Qaeda or Taliban. 3. The Government has detained numerous persons based on mere affiliations a large number of groups that, in fact, are not on Department of Homeland Security terrorist watchlist. Moreover, nexus between such a detainee and such organizations varies considerably. Eight percent are detained because they are deemed fighters for; 30% considered members of; a large majority - 60% - are detained merely because they are associated with a group or groups Government asserts are terrorist organizations. For 2% of prisoners, a nexus to any terrorist group is not identified by Government. 4. Only 5% of detainees were captured by United States forces. 86% of detainees were arrested by either Pakistan or Northern Alliance and turned over to United States custody. This 86% of detainees captured by Pakistan or Northern Alliance were handed over to United States at a time in which United States offered large bounties for capture of suspected enemies. 5. Finally, population of persons deemed not to be enemy combatants - mostly Uighers - are in fact accused of more serious allegations than a great many persons still deemed to be enemy combatants.