By Kathryn Lynch-Morin
Bay City Times
STANDISH, Mich. — Meet the prospective neighbors: They come from Afghanistan, Tanzania, Yemen and Libya, and most face a variety of war crimes charges.
And if the federal government decides, they’ll move from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in Standish.
The Obama administration has not said when a decision will be made, but Standish Maximum Correctional Facility (slated by the state to close in October) and a prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., are on the short list to replace the Guantanamo detention center.
So who are these detainees? At one point, nearly 800 detainees were housed at Guantanamo Bay. About 550 have been transferred and 228 remain.
Among the remaining detainees are these 10. Information on them was compiled from unclassified documents from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Name: Abd al Aziz Ali
He is charged with war crimes and is said to have played a role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States by sending $20,000 to a hijacker, among other things. He is described as one of 16 high-value detainees by U.S. officials.
Citizenship: Pakistan
Time in Guantanamo: two years, 11 months.
Name: Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr
He is associated with al-Qaida and was known to have assisted Osama bin Laden in purchasing weapons. He is also known to have been a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a terrorist organization used by al-Qaida to obtain travel documents.
Citizenship: Libya
Time in Guantanamo: Seven years.
Name: Ramzi Bin al Shibh
Charged with war crimes, he is said to have played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks by wiring money on several occasions to hijackers. The detainee was known to have lived in or frequented the same residence as two of the hijackers. He also attempted to enroll in the Florida flight training school where a Sept. 11 hijacker was a student. He is described as a high-value detainee.
Citizenship: Yemen
Time in Guantanamo: Two years, 11 months.
Name: Walid Bin Attash
He is linked to the truck bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He is also said to have been a participant in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 crew members and wounded 39 others. He is described as a high-value detainee.
Citizenship: Yemen
Time in Guantanamo: Two years, 11 months.
Name: Mahmmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef
A known member of the Taliban and associated with al-Qaida, he has met Osama bin Laden and has also participated in military operations against the United States and its coalition partners.
Citizenship: Yemen
Time in Guantanamo: Seven years, six months.
Name: Muhhammad Said Bin Salem
He is associated with al-Qaida and the Taliban and supported their forces by serving as a cook at a rest and relaxation facility on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Citizenship: Yemen
Time in Guantanamo: Seven years, six months.
Name: Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
He played a role in the bombings of the American embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi by supplying TNT and detonators and riding in the bombing scout vehicle. He is described as a high-value detainee.
Citizenship: Tanzania
Time in Guantanamo: Almost three months.
Name: Mustafa Ahmed al Hawsawi
He is said to have been involved with the Sept. 11 attacks and received several wire transfers of funds from more than one of the hijackers. A 19-page telephone and address book that contained contact information of numerous al-Qaida operatives was found in a laptop computer associated with the detainee. He is described as a high-value detainee.
Citizenship: Saudi Arabia
Time in Guantanamo: Two years, 11 months.
Name: Khirullah Said Wali Khairkhwa
A member of the Taliban and associated with al-Qaida, he was appointed the Taliban spokesman for the BBC and Voice of America.
Citizenship: Afghanistan
Time in Guantanamo: Seven years, three months.
Name: Fouad Mahoud Hasan al Rabia
He is known to have provided material support to the Taliban and al-Qaida. He has met with and delivered money to Osama bin Laden, and has provided coordination and logistical support to Taliban fighters. He has been charged with war crimes.
Citizenship: Kuwait
Time in Guantanamo: Seven years, three months.
Copyright 2009 Bay City Times