S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HEADQUARTERS, JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO U.S. NAVAL STATION, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA APO AE 09360 JTF-GTMO-CDR 29 April 2008 MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, United States Southern Command, 3511 NW 9lst Avenue, Miami, FL 33172 SUBJECT: Recommendation for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) for Guantanamo Detainee, ISN US9YM-000627DP (S) JTF-GTMO Detainee Assessment 1. (S) Personal Information: JDIMS/NDRC Reference Name: Ayman Batarfi Current/True Name and Aliases: Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi, Doctor Abu Ayman Place of Birth: Cairo, Egypt (EG) Date of Birth: 16 August 1970 Citizenship: Yemen (YM) Internment Serial Number (ISN): US9YM-000627DP 2. (U//FOUO) Health: Detainee is on a list of high-risk detainees from a health perspective. Detainee is in overall fair physical health but poor mental health. Detainee has medical conditions that are not life threatening. He has a mental health history of paranoid schizophrenia. He has a history of noncompliance with medical treatment as a result of his psychosis. 3. (U) JTF-GTMO Assessment: a. (S) Recommendation: JTF-GTMO recommends this detainee for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD). JTF-GTMO previously recommended detainee for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) on 20 October 2007. b. (S//NF) Executive Summary: Detainee was the chief medical advisor for the al-Wafa Humanitarian Organization, an al-Qaida and Taliban linked non-governmental organization CLASSIFIED BY: MULTIPLE SOURCES REASON: E.O. 12958, AS AMENDED, SECTION 1.4(C) DECLASSIFY ON: 20330429 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 JTF-GTMO-CDR SUBJECT: Recommendation for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) for Guantanamo Detainee, ISN US9YM-000627DP (S) (NGO) which operated in Afghanistan and Pakistan.1 Detainee acknowledged associations with numerous senior al-Qaida members including Usama Bin Laden (UBL) and provided assistance to Yazid Sufaat, one of al-Qaida’s anthrax researchers in Afghanistan who also had ties to the 11 September 2001 attacks. Detainee traveled to Pakistan (PK) in the late 1980s for medical training, received militant training in Afghanistan, fought against the Soviet occupation forces, and attempted to travel to Chechnya to support extremist activity. Detainee participated in hostilities against US and Coalition forces during which he is assessed to have held a leadership position. [ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DETAINEE IS AVAILABLE IN AN SCI SUPPLEMENT.] JTF-GTMO determined this detainee to be: A HIGH risk, as he is likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies A HIGH threat from a detention perspective Of HIGH intelligence value c. (S//NF) Summary of Changes: The following outlines changes to detainee’s assessment since the last JTF-GTMO recommendation. (Changes in this assessment will be annotated by ¡ next to the footnote.). Updated detainee’s capture events 4. (U) Detainee’s Account of Events: The following section is based, unless otherwise indicated, on detainee’s own account. These statements are included without consideration of veracity, accuracy, or reliability. a. (S//NF) Prior History: Detainee’s family lived in Egypt until 1977 when they moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA).2 In Saudi Arabia, detainee’s father opened a clothing shop where detainee worked in the evenings. In 1987, detainee’s father sent him to Pakistan to begin his medical education. In addition to pursuing his medical degree, detainee also enrolled in English courses.3 While in medical school, detainee became passionate about the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and, during a school break in the summer of 1988, he traveled to the Khogay Training Camp in Afghanistan. Detainee trained with the mujahideen 1 Analyst Note: Al-Wafa is a National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF) Counterterrorism (CT) Priority 3 Terrorist Support Entity (TSE). Priority 3 TSE have demonstrated intent and willingness to provide financial support to terrorist organizations willing to attack US persons or interests, or provide witting operational support to Priority 1-2 terrorist groups. 2 IIR 6 034 0178 03 3 IIR 6 034 1424 03 2 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 JTF-GTMO-CDR SUBJECT: Recommendation for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) for Guantanamo Detainee, ISN US9YM-000627DP (S) on various weapons to include the AK-47 assault rifle and anti-aircraft weaponry.4 After receiving the training, detainee participated in night-time raids against Soviet forces before returning to Pakistan,5 where he entered the medical program at Karachi University.6 Detainee studied general surgery, plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery until 1994. At that time, he began studies at the General Post Graduate Medical College in Karachi and remained there until 1997.7 In January 1997, detainee traveled to Yemen to visit his family.8 Detainee then returned to Pakistan and transferred to the General Post Graduate Medical Institute in Lahore, PK. Detainee remained at the Medical Institute until 2000, completing several internships at Services Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, and Jinnah Hospital.9 Detainee studied under Doctor Amer Aziz at all three hospitals.10 b. (S//NF) Recruitment and Travel: In 2000, detainee heard news reports of the Chechen conflict and decided to travel to the area to provide medical assistance.11 Detainee returned to Yemen to visit his father during which he learned he could obtain assistance in Afghanistan for travel to Chechnya. Detainee returned to Pakistan and in June 2000 traveled to the Hajji Habash Guesthouse operated by al-Qaida operative Abu Zubayr in Kandahar, AF. After making inquiries into traveling to Chechnya, detainee learned that Dhahak, who lived near the Kandahar Airport, would be able to help him.12 Dhahak told detainee he would make some calls to see if it was possible to get detainee to Chechnya. After ten days, detainee told Dhahak he could not wait for the road to Chechnya to “open up” and had to return to Lahore. Detainee asked for Dhahak’s contact information and another point of contact that would be able to help him travel to Chechnya. Dhahak provided detainee with the satellite phone number for Abu Musab and detainee returned to Lahore.13 Detainee contacted Abu Musab who informed detainee the Azerbaijan government was searching for him (Abu Musab) and he was unable to assist detainee.14 Approximately May 2001, 4 IIR 6 034 0178 03, 000627 SIR 13-MAR-2007, Analyst Note: In IIR 6 034 1455 03, detainee’s timeline is somewhat vague, with this training occurring sometime between 1989 and 1991. 5 IIR 6 034 1455 03 6 IIR 6 034 1424 03 7 IIR 6 034 0178 03 8 IIR 6 034 1424 03 9 IIR 6 034 0178 03 10 IIR 6 034 0088 04, Analyst Note: Doctor Amer Aziz is a Pakistani physician with admitted associations with senior al-Qaida members, including UBL, and has suspected connections with the al-Qaida weapons of mass destruction program. 11 IIR 6 034 0178 03 12 Analyst Note: Al-Qaida operated the Hajji Habash Guesthouse. Dhahak is Abu Dhahak who operated a guesthouse known for housing jihadists with Yemeni connections. See TD-314/48158-02. Abu Dhahak served as Chechen jihadist commander Ibn Khattab’s representative in Afghanistan. See TD-314/37810-03. In addition to monitoring Ibn Khattab’s equipment in Afghanistan, Abu Dhahak facilitated the movement of Arabs to Georgia and Chechnya. See IIR 6 034 1515 03. 13 IIR 6 034 0459 02 14 IIR 6 034 1515 03 3 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330429 JTF-GTMO-CDR SUBJECT: Recommendation for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) for Guantanamo Detainee, ISN US9YM-000627DP (S) detainee returned to Afghanistan in search of employment. Detainee returned to the Hajji Habash Guesthouse and worked as a medic in the clinic across the street. After an unspecified period of time, an associate named Abu Assem took detainee to the Ghulam Bacha Guesthouse in Kabul, AF, where he spent five days. Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Masri escorted detainee to local hospitals to continue his search for employment. At the Ghulam Bacha Guesthouse, detainee learned about the al-Wafa Humanitarian Organization from al- Wafa employee Abd al-Rashid. The Director of the Kabul office, Adel Zamel Abd al- Mahsen al-Zamel, aka (Abu Muaz), ISN US9KU-000568DP (KU-568, transferred), arranged for detainee to meet the al-Wafa director for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Abdallah Aydhah Abdallah al-Matrafi, aka (Abd al-Aziz) aka (Sayf al-Makki), ISN US9SA-000005DP (SA- 005, transferred).15 Detainee traveled from Kabul to Kandahar for the meeting and was convinced to travel to Karachi and assist al-Wafa personnel there with the purchase of medical supplies. Detainee was initially not compensated, but later received $2,500 US for five months salary.16 c. (S//NF) Training and Activities: Detainee traveled between Afghanistan and Pakistan numerous times purchasing, transporting, and distributing medical supplies and equipment for al-Wafa. Following the arrest of the Karachi al-Wafa office director on October 2001, detainee learned Pakistani authorities were also looking for him. To escape the authorities on 11 November 2001, detainee traveled from Lahore to Jalalabad, AF via Islamabad and Peshawar, PK taking with him a truck-load of medicines provided partly by his mentor Doctor Amer Aziz, who detainee noted had treated UBL for a minor injury.17 Detainee requested and received permission from the Jalalabad Taliban Intelligence Director Awal Gul, aka (Malim Awal Gul), ISN US9AF-000782DP (AF-782), to set up medical operations in the Jalalabad University Hospital.18 Detainee assisted at the hospital until the US bombing campaign approached the city later that month.