Hani Abdul Muslih al Shulan Summarized Detainee Statement

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Hani Abdul Muslih al Shulan Summarized Detainee Statement
United States Department of Defense

Transcript of the Guantanamo CSRT interview of Hani Abdul Muslih al Shulan Summarized Detainee Statement (ISN# 225)

198174Hani Abdul Muslih al Shulan Summarized Detainee StatementUnited States Department of Defense

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

Summarized Detainee Statement

Tribunal President: Hani Abdul Muslih AI Shu1an, you may now present any evidence you have to the Tribunal and you have the assistance of your Personal Representative in doing so.

Tribunal President: Do you wish to present information to this Tribunal and would you like to make your statement under oath?

Detainee: I do not wish to take the oath, but I will answer the questions.

Tribunal President: Good, you may begin.

In response to allegation 3a, Detainee supported the Taliban and allegation 3a(I), the Detainee arrived in Afghanistan in approximately July 2001, from Yemen via Pakistan.

Detainee: Please repeat that information.

Personal Representative read the allegations to the Detainee again.

Detainee: I do not recall the date that I arrived in Pakistan.

In response to allegation 3a(2), the Detainee resided in Taliban safe houses during his travel to and within Afghanistan.

Detainee: I had to stay in a place that was safe.

Tribunal President: I would just like to remind everyone to speak up, so that the reporter can hear it on the tape.

Detainee: Do you speak Arabic?

Tribunal President: No. but we have to record everything.

Detainee: Fine.

In response to allegation 3a(3), the Detainee traveled to Afghanistan in response to a fatwa for the purpose of fighting coalition forces.

Detainee: I did not say that during the interrogation.

Personal Representative: Do you have more to add to that?

Detainee: I did not go for the fatwa purpose. An interrogator asked me that question, there are other people that go for the purpose offatwa but I did not go there for that purpose.

In response to allegation 3a( 4), the Detainee had in his possession at capture a Casio watch, model # AlS9W, which has been used in bombings linked to al Qaida.

Detainee: I had a Casio watch but don't know the number. Please present the evidence that I used it as an explosive device.

In response to allegation 3a(5), the Detainee was proficient with a Kalashnikov rife. Detainee: Everybody uses that particular weapon. In response to allegation 3b, the Detainee engaged in hostilities against the United States and its coalition partners and allegation 3b(1), the Detainee was armed with an AK-47 rifle.

Detainee: I said that I had this type of weapon, but it's not for any enemy activities or to fire at the coalition.

In response to allegation 3b(2), the Detainee was present in the Tora Bora region during the U. S. air campaign.

Detainee: That's not true, I left that place. To leave Afghanistan or exit Afghanistan there was no other way for me to leave except for that place. I did not stay in the mountain.

In response to allegation 3b(3), the Detainee was captured in Pakistan Dear the Afghanistan border by Pakistani forces.

Detainee: They did not capture me. I turned myself over to them, so I can exit.

Personal Representative: Do you have any final statements you want to tell the Tribunal about the information that says you are a Taliban and that you engaged in hostilities against the United States?

Detainee: I was not doing that.

Personal Representative: That was all there is.

Detainee: That's all I got.

Tribunal President: Would you be willing to answer questions for us?

Detainee: As long as it is related to these accusations I have no problem with that.

Tribunal President; Thank you.

Tribunal President: Personal Representative, do you have any questions for the Detainee?

Personal Representative: No, ma'am.

Tribunal President: Recorder, do you have any questions for the Detainee?

Recorder: No, ma'am.

Tribunal President: Do any Tribunal members have any questions for the Detainee?

Member: Yes, rna' am. Could you please tell us what your purpose was in going to Afghanistan?

Detainee: To get employment and save money.

Member: Who paid for your travel to Afghanistan?

Detainee: I took the money from my father.

Member: Are you a Yemeni citizen?

Detainee: Yes, I am.

Member: And what was your usual occupation in Yemen?

Detainee: I was not employed; I was a student.

Member: Did you ever have military training?

Detainee: No, I did not.

Member: In the houses you stayed in Afghanistan did you see any members of the Taliban or al Qaida?

Detainee: I don't know which one of these people I saw, al Qaida or Taliban. I did not hear about al Qaida until I was put in jail.

Member: Did you travel with anyone when you went through Tora Bora on your way out of Afghanistan?

Detainee: There were a lot of people.

Member: Were any of them armed?

Detainee: Some of them, they were carrying weapons.

Member: Were you carrying one at the same time?

Detainee: Yes, I was.

Member: Did you receive any injuries while you were in Afghanistan?

Detainee: No, I did not.

Member: That's all the questions I have; thank you.

Member: I have questions ma'am. Who told you that there were jobs in Afghanistan?

Detainee: Nobody told me I went there on my own.

Member: So you did not know if there were jobs there, but you went anyway?

Detainee: I wanted to go to any city or state where I could get ajob.

Member: Why did you pick Afghanistan?

Detainee: Because I did not need residence or visas.

Member: How did you know where to go when you reached Pakistan or Afghanistan?

Detainee: There was a man who gave me directions and was guiding me how to get there.

Member: Where did you meet this man?

Detainee: In Yemen

Member: Who is this man?

Detainee: The name of that man was Saleh Al Raeni.

Member: Was Saleh Al Raeni associated with any mosque?

Detainee: Yes, for sure.

Member: Do you recall the name of the mosque?

Detainee: I meet him at a mosque called Al Forkan.

Member: Do you believe in jihad?

Detainee: That is not included in my unclassified evidence.

Member: Did you go to Afghanistan to fight jihad?

Detainee: The first question was 'Why I went 10 Afghanistan. I have already answered that question.

Member: I have no further questions.

Tribunal President: Where did you go once you arrived in Afghanistan?

Detainee: I went to Quetta before Afghanistan.

Tribunal President: And then where did you go?

Detainee: And then I went 10 Kandahar.

Tribunal President: Were you successful in finding employment?

Detainee: In Kandahar I was not successful in getting employment.

Tribunal President: Did you go somewhere else then to go and find work?

Detainee: Yes, I did.

Tribunal President: And where was that?

Detainee: I went to Kabul.

Tribunal President: And you found employment there?

Detainee: No, I did not.

Tribunal President: Did you move on from there?

Detainee: Yes, I did.

Tribunal President: Okay. Where was your next stop?

Detainee: I went past Kabul to a place I can't remember the name.

Tribunal President: I guess long and short of it is, did you find employment ultimately?

Detainee: Yes, I did.

Tribunal President: Okay, and where did you finally find employment at?

Detainee: In the place past Kabul.

Tribunal President: North ofKabul?

Detainee: I do not know, north of Kabul or south Kabul.

Tribunal President: Okay. And what type of work did you finally find?

Detainee: I was a chef's assistant.

Tribunal President: Okay. Ifyou found work, then what caused you to want to leave Afghanistan?

Detainee: All the problems that had taken place between the States and I had no intention of getting involved.

Tribunal President: How did you go, leaving from the area around Kabul headed out of Afghanistan?

Detainee: I took the car.

Tribunal President: Okay. You said that you did go through the Tara Bora region?

Detainee: Yes, I did.

Tribunal President: What was your destination? Was it to go to Pakistan?

Detainee: I wanted to go back to Pakistan.

Tribunal President: According to this, I understand you didn't make it out of Afghanistan?

Detainee: Can you repeat the question?

Tribunal President: It is my understanding you did not make it out of Afghanistan. You were captured in and surrendered--

Detainee: I turned myself over to the Pakistani.

Detainee: Not in Afghanistan.

Tribunal President: In Pakistan.

Detainee: In Pakistan.

Tribunal President: Can you remember when yOll were captured? Detainee: August 3rd.

Tribunal President: Can you tell us what year?

Detainee: I don't remember the year, but it is the same year I turned myself over.

Tribunal President: I want to thank you for participating in this Tribunal today. Hani Abdul Muslih AI Shulan, do you have any other evidence to present to this Tribunal?

Detainee: I have no further questions or statement to make, but do you have any proof to support these allegations that you presented to me?

Tribunal President: The only thing that we have seen at this point is the unclassified summary. That's all the information that we have.

Detainee: On what basis do you accuse me of all these allegations?

Tribunal President: This was prepared for us. So until we see the other documents we have no idea.

Detainee: Fine.

Tribunal President: Personal Representative, do you have any other evidence or does the Detainee have previously approved witnesses to present to the Tribunal?

Personal Representative: No, ma'am.

Tribunal President: All unclassified evidence having been provided to the Tribunal, this concludes this Tribunal session.

AUTHENTICATION

I certify the material contained in this transcript is a true and accurate summary of the testimony given during the proceedings.

Colonel, US Army Tribunal President

ISN #225 Enclosure (3) Page 8 of 8

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO