Taliban Five: Difference between revisions

The '''Taliban Five''' were long-term [[Afghan detainees at Guantanamo Bay]] and formerly high-ranking members of the [[Taliban government]] of Afghanistan who, after being held indefinitely without charges, were exchanged for [[United States Army]] [[sergeant]] [[Bowe Bergdahl]].<ref name=Wsj2012-02-13>

{{cite news

|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204136404577209391708596680

|title = The Taliban Five: Meet the men the U.S. might release as a goodwill gesture

|publisher = [[Wall Street Journal]]

|author =

|date = February 13, 2012

|page =

|location =

|isbn =

|accessdate = 2013-08-14

|archivedate = August 14, 2013

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204136404577209391708596680.html&date=2013-08-14

|deadurl = yes

|quote = The Obama Administration is pursuing peace talks with the Taliban, and as a goodwill gesture it has been leaking the news that it may pre-emptively release five of their leaders held at Guantanamo.

|df =

}}

</ref><ref name=AndyWorthington>

{{cite news

|url = http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2012/03/23/the-taliban-five-and-the-forgotten-afghan-prisoners-in-guantanamo/

|title = The "Taliban Five" and the Forgotten Afghan Prisoners in Guantánamo

|publisher =

|author = [[Andy Worthington]]

|date = March 23, 2012

|accessdate = 2013-08-14

|archivedate = August 14, 2013

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andyworthington.co.uk%2F2012%2F03%2F23%2Fthe-taliban-five-and-the-forgotten-afghan-prisoners-in-guantanamo%2F&date=2013-08-14

|deadurl = yes

|quote =

|df =

}}

</ref>

For several years there were rumors that the [[Barack Obama|Obama]] [[United States President|Presidency]]'s [[Government negotiation with terrorists|negotiations with the Taliban]] hinged over the release of these men.<ref name=AsiaTimes2012-01-20>

{{cite news

|url = http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NA12Df01.html

|title = There's more to peace than Taliban

|publisher = [[Asia Times]]

|date = January 10, 2012

|accessdate = 2012-01-11

|quote = Nevertheless, Iranian media insist that three high-ranking Taliban leaders have been released - Mullah Khairkhawa, former interior minister; Mullah Noorullah Noori, a former governor; and Mullah Fazl Akhund, the Taliban's chief of army staff - in exchange for an American soldier held by the Taliban.

|page =

|author = M K Bhadrakumar

|archivedate = January 11, 2012

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.atimes.com%2Fatimes%2FSouth_Asia%2FNA12Df01.html&date=2012-01-11

|deadurl = no

|df =

}}

</ref><ref name=MiamiHerald2012-03>

{{cite news

|url = http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/10/2688491/taliban-prisoners-at-guantanamo.html

|title = Taliban prisoners at Guantánamo OK transfer

|publisher = [[Miami Herald]]

|date = March 12, 2012

|accessdate = 2012-03-12

|quote = Five top Taliban leaders held by the U.S. in the Guantánamo Bay military prison told a visiting Afghan delegation they agree to a proposed transfer to the tiny Gulf state of Qatar, opening the door for a possible move aimed at bringing the Taliban into peace talks, Afghan officials said Saturday.

|page =

|author = [[Carol Rosenberg]]

|archivedate = March 12, 2012

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2F2012%2F03%2F10%2F2688491%2Ftaliban-prisoners-at-guantanamo.html&date=2012-03-12

|deadurl = no

|df =

}}

</ref><ref name=Bbc2012-03-10>

{{cite news

|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17327440

|title = Guantanamo Taliban inmates 'agree to Qatar transfer'

|publisher = [[BBC News]]

|date = March 10, 2012

|accessdate = 2012-03-12

|quote = If the president pursues this strategy, though, he will need support from wary politicians in Congress, our correspondent says. Many there see a transfer of what they call the most dangerous inmates at Guantanamo as a step too far, he adds.

|archivedate = March 12, 2012

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworld-asia-17327440&date=2012-03-12

|deadurl = no

|df =

}}

</ref><ref name=Reuters2012-03-10>

{{cite news

|url = http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/03/10/afghanistan-guantanamo-taliban-idINDEE82905620120310

|title = Taliban Guantanamo detainees agree to Qatar transfer - official

|publisher = [[Reuters]]

|date = March 10, 2012

|accessdate = 2012-03-12

|quote = Karzai's top aide, Ibrahim Spinzada, visited the Guantanamo facility this week to secure approval from the five Taliban prisoners to be moved to Qatar.

|page =

|author = Hamid Shalizi

|archivedate = March 12, 2012

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fin.reuters.com%2Farticle%2F2012%2F03%2F10%2Fafghanistan-guantanamo-taliban-idINDEE82905620120310&date=2012-03-12

|deadurl = no

|df =

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</ref>

The Taliban wanted the men to be sent to [[Qatar]]. The United States was reported to be considering freeing them, if the Taliban would release [[Bowe Bergdahl]], a soldier the Taliban had been holding since 2009.<ref name=TheWeeklyStandard2013-06-21>

{{cite news

|url = http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/taliban-five-guantanamo_736892.html

|title = The Taliban Five at Guantanamo

|work = [[The Weekly Standard]]

|author = Thomas Joscelyn

|date = June 21, 2013

|accessdate = 2013-08-14

|archivedate = August 14, 2013

|archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.weeklystandard.com%2Fblogs%2Ftaliban-five-guantanamo_736892.html&date=2013-08-14

|deadurl = yes

|quote = Shortly after opening its political office in Doha, Qatar earlier this week, the Taliban floated the idea of exchanging U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been in captivity since 2009, for the top five Taliban leaders in U.S. custody at Guantanamo. The offer, which has been a longstanding Taliban demand, was first reported by the Associated Press.

|df =

}}

</ref>

The Taliban Five were released to custody in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]] on June 1, 2014.

The Taliban Five have been described as "the hardest of the hard-core" by [[John McCain]] and [[James Franklin Jeffrey]]. All five are deemed "high" risk to the [[United States]] and were recommended for "continued detention".<ref name="politifact1">{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/jun/02/john-mccain/john-mccain-says-five-taliban-detainees-freed-bowe/ |title=John McCain says five Taliban detainees freed in Bowe Bergdahl exchange 'are the hardest of the hard-core' |publisher=PolitiFact |date= |accessdate=2014-06-06 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150127151559/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/jun/02/john-mccain/john-mccain-says-five-taliban-detainees-freed-bowe/ | archivedate = January 27, 2015| deadurl = No }}</ref> This reverses a position McCain held only four months earlier. McCain said his stance has changed only because the previous proposal was to release five "hard-core" Taliban leaders as a "confidence-building measure." The current proposal would be an actual exchange of prisoners. "I would be inclined to support such a thing, depending on a lot of details," he said.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mataconis|first1=Doug|title=John McCain Was For Trading Taliban Prisoners For Sgt. Bergdahl Before He Was Against It|url=http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/john-mccain-was-for-trading-taliban-prisoners-for-sgt-bergdahl-before-he-was-against-it/|website=Outside the Beltway}}</ref>

''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' described the identity of the five men as an "open secret", since members of [[United States Congress|Congress]] had been briefed on the negotiations.<ref name=Wsj2012-02-13/>

The Taliban Five are listed as very dangerous men.<ref name="politifact1"/><ref name=Cnn2014-05-31/><ref name=Telegraph2014-06-01/><ref name=Wuft2014-05-31/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"

| [[Internment Serial Number|ISN]] || image || allegations

The ''[[Times of Oman]]'' described Norullah Nori as ''" the most controversial"'' of the five.<ref name=TimesOfOman2014-06-02/>

According to US intelligence officials, '''[[Khairullah Khairkhwa]]''' was the interior minister under the Taliban. He helped found the Taliban in 1994. He was directly associated with [[Osama Bin Laden]] and Taliban Supreme Commander [[Mullah Muhammad Omar]]. Likely involved with militant training, he was also "a narcotics trafficker and probably used his position and influences to become one of the major opium drug lords in Western Afghanistan", and probably used profits from drugs to promote Taliban interests.<ref name="politifact1"/><ref name=Cnn2014-05-31/><ref name=Telegraph2014-06-01/><ref name=Wuft2014-05-31/>

The ''[[Times of Oman]]'' described Khairkhwa as a ''"relative moderate"''.<ref name=TimesOfOman2014-06-02/>

According to US intelligence officials, '''[[Mohammad Nabi Omari]]''' was the Taliban's chief of communications. Nabi had "operational ties to Anti-Coalition Militia (ACM) groups including al-Qaida, the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin". He also "maintained weapons caches and facilitated the smuggling of fighters and weapons".<ref name="politifact1"/><ref name=Cnn2014-05-31/><ref name=Telegraph2014-06-01/><ref name=Wuft2014-05-31/>

Over the years, there were several premature reports of some or all of the men being transferred. On January 10, 2012, [[Iran]]ian news sources asserted three of the five men had been transferred, in return for Bergdahl.<ref name=AsiaTimes2012-01-20/> On July 29, 2013, ''[[Ynetnews]]'' reported that the USA had already released the five men as a goodwill gesture without insisting on the Taliban in turn releasing Bergdahl.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4411028,00.html| title=US releases prisoners from Guantanamo: US government releases five prisoners from infamous detention camp as gesture ahead of talks with Taliban| publisher=''[[Ynetnews]]''| author=Orly Azoulay| date=July 29, 2013| accessdate=2013-08-14| archivedate=August 14, 2013| archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ynetnews.com%2Farticles%2F0%2C7340%2CL-4411028%2C00.html&date=2013-08-14| deadurl=yes| df=}}</ref>

On May 31, 2014, following negotiations coordinated by the [[government of Qatar]], the five detainees were exchanged for Bergdahl, who was thought to be the last remaining American [[prisoner of war]].<ref>{{cite web|title=US soldier Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban in Afghanistan|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27651690|date=May 31, 2014|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=June 1, 2014}}</ref> The Taliban five were taken from [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] and flown by a [[C-17 Globemaster III]] to Qatar, where they were required to remain for a year as a condition of their release. They arrived in Qatar on June 1, 2014.<ref name="FazlRelease">{{cite news|title=American soldier held captive in Afghanistan is now free|url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bowe-bergdahl-released|accessdate=June 1, 2014|publisher=[[MSNBC]]}}</ref> A portion of an [[Video editing|edited video]] of Bergdahl's handover released by the [[Taliban]] on June 4, 2014, shows the homecoming of the prisoners in an unknown location in Qatar where a [[Convoy|caravan]] of [[Sport utility vehicle|SUVs]] pulls over alongside a busy stretch of road with the former prisoners exiting and hugging their supporters. The video portion was mixed with joyful [[Jihadism|Jihadi]] song.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/politics/bowe-bergdahl-release/index.html |title=Taliban video shows Bowe Bergdahl's release in Afghanistan - CNN.com |publisher=Edition.cnn.com |date= |accessdate=2014-06-06}}</ref> In late-May 2015, the travel ban was extended while negotiations continue between Qatar and the United States.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Qatar Extends Travel Ban for Taliban Leaders Released from Guantanamo |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/qatar-extends-travel-ban-for-taliban-released-from-guantanamo/2802593.html |newspaper=Voice of America |date=May 31, 2015 |access-date=June 5, 2015 }}</ref>

According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] officials and the [[United States Intelligence Community|intelligence community]] had successfully fought off releasing the Taliban Five in the past; President Barack Obama's move to release the prisoners was described as a "victory" for those at the [[White House]] and the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] who had argued against the military.<ref>{{cite web|author=Massimo Calabresi |url=http://time.com/2818827/taliban-bergdahl-pow-release-objections-white-house/ |title=Taliban Release For Bergdahl: Obama Overrode Internal Objections |publisher=TIME |date= |accessdate=2014-06-06}}</ref>

These commentators, citing this anonymous report, asserted that at least one of the five men was a ''"recidivist"''.

On February 2, 2014, the ''[[Oman Tribune]]'' quoted [[Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah]] [[Qatar's Foreign Minister]] denials of these reports.<ref name=OmanTribune2015-02-02>

{{cite news

| url = http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=183610

| title = Gitmo ex-inmates 'not back to militancy'

| publisher = [[Oman Tribune]]

| author =

| date = February 2, 2015

| page =

| location = [[Washington DC]]

| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150204230207/http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=183610

| archivedate = February 4, 2015

| accessdate = 2015-02-04

| deadurl = yes

| quote = "It's totally false," Attiya said. "They are living according to the agreement we signed with the United States."

}}

</ref>

Attiya assured the public that Omani and US officials were cooperating in monitoring that the men were complying with the terms of the agreement that allowed them to travel to Qatar, and there had been no sign that any of the men had taken any steps that would violate that agreement.

{{reflist|2|refs=

{{cite web | url = http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/31/us/bergdahl-transferred-guantanamo-detainees/ | title = The Gitmo detainees swapped for Bergdahl: Who are they? | publisher = [[CNN]] | date = | accessdate = 2014-06-06 | archivedate = June 1, 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140601015958/http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/31/us/bergdahl-transferred-guantanamo-detainees/ | deadurl = no }}</ref>

{{cite web | author = David Blair | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/10868068/Five-pillars-of-old-Taliban-regime.html | title = Five pillars of old Taliban regime | publisher = [[The Telegraph (UK)]] | date = June 1, 2014 | accessdate = 2014-06-06 | archivedate = June 2, 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140602095538/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/10868068/Five-pillars-of-old-Taliban-regime.html | deadurl = no }}</ref>

{{cite web | url = http://www.wuft.org/nation-world/2014/05/31/who-are-the-5-guantanamo-detainees-in-prisoner-swap/ | title = Who Are The 5 Guantanamo Detainees In Prisoner Swap? | publisher = [[WUFT-FM]] | author = Eyder Peralta | date = May 31, 2014 | accessdate = 2014-06-06 | archivedate = December 24, 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141224074638/http://www.wuft.org/nation-world/2014/05/31/who-are-the-5-guantanamo-detainees-in-prisoner-swap/ | deadurl = no}}</ref>

<ref name=TimesOfOman2014-06-02>

{{cite news

| url = http://timesofoman.com/article/35230/World/Many-Afghans-oppose-release-of-Taliban-officials

| title = Many Afghans oppose release of Taliban officials

| publisher = [[Times of Oman]]

| author =

| date = June 2, 2014

| page =

| location =

| accessdate = 2015-07-05

| quote =

}}

</ref>

<!--unused<ref name=Aan2012-03-09>

{{cite news

| url = https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/releasing-the-guantanamo-five-1-biographies-of-the-prisoners-amended/

| title = Releasing the Guantanamo Five? 1: Biographies of the Prisoners (amended)

| publisher = [[The Afghan Analysts Network]]

| author = [[Kate Clark (journalist)|Kate Clark]]

| date = March 9, 2012

| page =

| location =

| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150521064155/https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/releasing-the-guantanamo-five-1-biographies-of-the-prisoners-amended/

| archivedate = May 21, 2015

| accessdate = 2015-07-05

| deadurl = No

| quote = Unlike many Taleban, he was comfortable speaking to a foreigner and, very unusually, happy to be interviewed in Persian (most Taleban would only speak Pashto at the time). Herat, where he was the governor, was noticeably more relaxed than Kabul, Mazar or Kandahar: I filmed openly in the city (then an illegal act), the economy was reasonably buoyant and women came up to chat – a very rare occurrence.

}}

</ref>-->

}}