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Oral Argument Scheduled for October 2, 2009] Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 1 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE [ORAL ARGUMENT SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 2, 2009] No. 09-5051 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT GHALEB NASSAR AL BIHANI Petitioner-Appellant, v. BARACK H. OBAMA, ET AL., Respondents-Appellees. ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BRIEF FOR APPELLEES IAN GERSHENGORN Deputy Assistant Attorney General DOUGLAS N. LETTER ROBERT M. LOEB MATTHEW M. COLLETTE (202) 514-4214 Attorneys, Appellate Staff Civil Division, Room 7212 U.S. Department ofJustice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W. Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 2 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE CERTIFICATE AS TO PARTIES, RULINGS, AND RELATED CASES Pursuant to Circuit Rule 28(a)( I), the undersigned counsel certifies as follows: A. Parties and Amici Petitioner-Appellant is Ghaleb Nasser AI-Bihani. Respondents-appellees are: Barack Obama, President of the United States; Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense; Brigadier General Jay Hood, Commander, Joint Task Force-GTMO; and Colonel Mike Bumgarner, Commander, Joint Detention Operations Group - JTF-GTMO. B. Rulings Under Review Petitioner appeals from the order ofthe district court (Leon, J.), entered January 28,2009, denying al-Bihani's petition for a writ ofhabeas corpus. C. Related Cases 1. Bensayah v. Obama, D.C. Cir. No. 08-5337, is an appeal by an individual detained at Guantanamo from the denial ofa habeas corpus petition. The government filed the Brieffor Appellees in Bensayah on July 15, 2009, and the case is scheduled for argument on September 24, 2009. Basardh v. Obama, D.C. Cir. No. 09-5200, is an appeal by the government of a district court ruling that the court may order release ofan individual who is part of enemy forces on the ground that the individual will not rejoin the battle or engage in -1­ UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 3 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE any further act ofterrorism. The government's opening briefin Basardh currently is due July 30,2009. Ai A/wi v. Obama, No. 09-5125, is an appeal brought by a Guantanamo detainee from the denial of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Counsel is not aware at this time ofany other related cases within the meaning ofD.C. Cir. Rule 28(a)(l)(c). Matthew M. Collette Counsel for Respondents-Appellees -11­ UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 4 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE AS TO PARTIES, RULINGS, AND RELATED CASES I TABLE OF AUTHORITIES '" VI GLOSSARY Xl STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION 1 QUESTION PRESENTED 2 STATEMENT OF THE CASE 2 STATEMENT OF THE FACTS 4 A. AI-Bihani's Recruitment, Travel to Afghanistan, and Stay At Taliban and AI-Qaida Guesthouses 4 B. AI-Bihani's Training 6 C. Activity On The Front Lines As Part Of The 55 th Arab Brigade 7 D. The Retreat and Surrender of the 55th Arab Brigade 10 E. AI-Bihani's Statements Before the Administrative Review Board. ... .......................... 11 F. The District Court's Decision Denying the Petition 12 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT 16 -lll- UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 5 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE STANDARD OF REVIEW 20 ARGUMENT , 21 I. THE DETENTION OF AL-BIHANI IS AUTHORIZED BY THE AUMF AND SUPPORTED BY THE EVIDENCE 21 A. The President Has Authority, Consistent With The Laws OfWar, To Detain Enemy Forces During The Duration of Hostilities 21 B. The District Court Properly Held That The Evidence Is Sufficient To Conclude That al-Bihani I s Properly Detained 25 II. THE DETENTION OF AL-BIHANI IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LAWS OF WAR 32 A. The Conflict In Which al-Bihani Was Captured Has Not Ended 32 B. The United States is Not Foreclosed From Invoking The Laws Of War To Detain al-Bihani. 39 III. AL-BIHANI'S CONTENTION THAT HE CANNOT BE DETAINED EVEN IF HE WAS PART OF THE ENEMY FORCES IS INCORRECT 42 A. The Government's Detention Authority Is Not Limited To Individuals Who "Directly Participate" In Hostilities 42 B. Detention Under The Laws Of War Does Not Depend Upon Whether An Individual Is A Future Threat.. 45 -lV- UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 6 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE IV. AL-BIHANI'S PROCEDURAL ARGUMENTS ARE WITHOUT MERIT 53 CONCLUSION 62 CERTIFICATE OF CONIPLIANCE CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE -v- UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 7 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases: Al Odah v. United States, 559 F.3d 539 (D.C. Cir. 2009). .. 21 Amadeo v. Zant, 486 U.S. 214 (1988) 20 Anderson v. Bessemer City, 470 U.S. 564 (1985) 20 Bakerv. Carr, 369 U.S. 186,217 (1962) 48 Basardh v. Obama, 2009 WL 1033193 (D.D.C. 2009), appeal pending, No. 09-5200 (D.C. Cir.) 52 *Boumediene v. Bush, 128 S. Ct. 2229 (2008) 54,55-56 Boumediene v. Bush, 2008 WL 4722127 (D.D.C. Oct. 27, 2008) 22 Brown v. Allen, 344 U.S. 443 (1953) 59 Burns v. Wilson, 346 U.S. 137(1953) 59 *Gherebi v. Obama, 609 F. Supp.2d 43 (D.D.C. 2009) 25,28,42,44-45 Gonzalez Vera v. Kissinger, 449 F.3d 1260 (D.C. Cir. 2006) 48 *Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507 (2004). .. 18-20,23,27-40,49-60 *Hamlily v. Obama, 616 F. Supp.2d 63, _"_, 2009 WL 1393113 (D.D.C. May 19,2009) 25,28,30,42,44 * Authorities chiefly relied upon are marked with an asterisk. -VI­ UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 8 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Kiyemba v. Obama, 561 F.3d 509 (D.C. Cir. 2009) 1,55 *Ludecke v. Watkins, 335 U.S. 160 (1948) 17,34,36,48 Nat'l Fed'n ofFed. Employees v. United States, 905 F.2d 400 (D.C. Cir. 1990) 48 Parhat v. Gates, 532 F.3d 834 (D.C. Cir. 2008) 58-59 People's Mojahedin Or. OfIran v. Department ofState, 182 F.3d 17,23 (D.C. Cir. 1999) 47 The Prize Cases, 67 U.S. (2 Black) 635 (1862) 35 Ex Parte Quirin, 317 U.S. 1 (1942) 23,40 Sanchez Espinoza v. Reagan, 770 F.2d 202 (D.C. Cir. 1985) 35,48 Schneider v. Kissinger, 412 F.3d 190 (D;C. Cir. 2005) 35,48 In re Territo, 156 F.2d 142 (9th Cir. 1946) 51 The Three Friends, 166 U.S. 1 (1897) 35 United States v. Prosperi, 573 F. Supp. 2d 436 (D. Mass. 2008) 35 United States v. Richardson, 167 F.3d 621 (D.C. Cir. 1991) 57 Statutes and Rules: 28 U.S.C. § 1291 2 28 U.S.C. § 2241 1 28 U.S.C. § 2243) 59 28 U.S.C. § 2253(a) 2 -Vll- UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 9 UNCLASSIFIEOIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE *Authorization for the Use of Military Force, Pub. L. No. 107-40,115 Stat. 224 (2001) 16,221,23,25,43,49,52 Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a)(6) 21 Miscellaneous: Army Regulation 190-8, Ch. 1, § 1-6 (1997) 50, 56 C. Bradley & J. Goldsmith, Congressional Authorization and the War on Terrorism, 118 Harv. L. Rev. 2047 (2005) 23,31,40 Geneva Convention (III) Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Art. 118, Aug. 12, 1949, [1955], 6 U.S.T. 3316, 3406: 37 Art. 3 43 Art. 4 41-43 Art. 5 56 Geneva Convention (IV) Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Art. 78, Aug. 12, 1949, [1956],6 U.S.T. 3516 50 Hague Convention (II) on Laws and Customs ofWar on Land, Art, 20, July 29,1899,32 Stat. 1817 49 Hague Convention (IV), Art. 20, Oct. 18, 1907 49 Int'l Comm. of the Red Cross, Commentary on Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of Aug. 12, 1949 (Pictet, ed. 1960) 41,56-57 Int'l Comm. of the Red Cross, Commentary on the Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 12 Aug. 1949 (Sandoz et al., eds. 1987) 44,45 -Vlll- UNCLASSIFIEOIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Case: 09-5051 Document: 1206314 Filed: 09/15/2009 Page: 10 UNCLASSIFIEDIIFOR PUBLIC RELEASE Y. Naqvi, Doubtful Prisoner of War Status, 84 RICR 571 (2002) 56 2 Oppenheim's International Law: A Treatise § 77 & n.1 (7th ed. 1952) 30 Organization of American States, Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Terrorist Threat to the Americas (Sept. 21,2001), http://www.oas.org/OASpage/crisis/RC.24e.htm 24 Parry & Grant, Encyclopaedic Dictionary ofInternational Law 84 (2d ed. 2004) 30 Paust, Judicial Power to Determine the Status and Rights ofPersons Detained Without Trial, 44 Harv. Int'l L. J. 503 (2003) 50 President's Plan Signals u.s. Commitment to Bolster Afghan Security, March 31, 2009, http://www.defenselink.mil/news/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=53721. 33 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, June 8, 1977 44 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 Aug. 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims ofNon-International Armed Conflicts, 8 June 1977: Art. 1(1) 43-44 Art. 13 43-44 Statement by NATO Secretary Genera1(Oct. 2,2001), http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/200Ils011002a.htm 24 Statement by North Atlantic Council (Sept.
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