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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 25 June 2022
US: Afghan national freed from Guantanamo Bay after 15 years

By MUNIR AHMED chairman of the Senate
Associated Press Intelligence Committee,
ISLAMABAD (AP) — An Af- criticized the Biden admin-
ghan prisoner held in U.S. istration for allowing Gul’s
custody for nearly 15 years transfer. “The terrorist orga-
has been released from the nization that now controls
Guantanamo Bay deten- Afghanistan cannot and
tion center after a federal will not ensure Gul, or any
court ruled that he was un- future detainees who are
lawfully detained, the U.S. released, will not return to
Department of Defense the battlefield and poten-
said Friday. tially kill Americans or other
Asadullah Haroon Gul’s re- innocent civilians,” Rubio
lease was first announced said, referring to the Tal-
earlier in the day by the Tal- iban who seized power in
iban in Afghanistan and an Afghanistan last August.
international human rights Mujahid said Gul was
group. handed over to the Taliban
From Kabul, Zabihullah Mu- as a result of their talks with
jahid, the Taliban-appoint- U.S. authorities, which he
ed deputy culture and in- described as a “direct and
formation minister, tweeted positive interaction with the
that Gul was one of the last United States.”
two Afghan prisoners held In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the sun sets behind the closed Camp X-Ray Shaheen told The Associat-
at Guantanamo Bay. detention facility, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. ed Press that Gul’s freedom
Photographs of Gul being Associated Press came “following direct en-
greeted by senior Taliban the invasion of Afghanistan and the detention center ment of Defense said Gul’s gagement” with the U.S.
officials in Doha, Qatar, to capture al-Qaida leader became notorious after release was in accord with He said Gul was detained
were posted on Twitter Osama bin Laden. reports emerged of detain- district court in Washing- by American forces in the
later in the day. Mujahid It was intended at the time ees being humiliated and ton’s decision that the Unit- city of Jalalabad in 2007
thanked Qatar for facilitat- to hold and interrogate tortured. ed States “no longer has and was held for 15 years
ing Gul’s release, without those suspected of hav- Gul was greeted upon a legal basis to justify the without trial.
elaborating. ing links to al-Qaida or the landing in Doha by top continued detention” of The remaining Afghan at
The United States opened Taliban, who had sheltered Taliban official Suhail Sha- Gul. It thanked Qatar for its Guantanamo Bay is Mu-
the detention center under bin Laden. heen, who said he would assistance without provid- hammad Rahim al-Af-
President George W. Bush However, scores of sus- soon fly home to Afghani- ing any details. ghani, who is accused of
in January 2002 after the pects from multiple coun- stan. Earlier Friday, Republican working with bin Laden as a
9/11 terrorist attacks and tries were later sent there In a statement, the Depart- Sen. Marco Rubio, vice “procurement specialist.”q

Morocco: 5 migrants dead in stampede in bid to enter Melilla

By CIARÁN GILES and TARIK ties called a “stampede” of Nador and Melilla on of them in hospital. None Friday’s crossings were the
EL-BARAKAH of people surging across Friday, the first such mass is in serious condition. Four first attempt since relations
Associated Press Morocco’s border fence crossing since Spain and police vehicles were dam- between Spain and Mo-
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — with the Spanish North Af- Morocco mended diplo- aged by rocks thrown by rocco improved in March
Five Africans seeking to rican enclave of Melilla on matic relations last month. some migrants. after a year-long dispute
cross into Spain were killed Friday. A spokesperson for the Those who succeeded in centered on the Western
and scores of migrants A total of 133 migrants Spanish government’s of- crossing went to a local Sahara, a former Spanish
and police were injured in breached the border be- fice in Melilla said about migrant center, where au- colony annexed by Moroc-
what Moroccan authori- tween the Moroccan city 2,000 people attempted thorities were evaluating co in 1976.
to cross, but many were their circumstances. Morocco loosened its con-
stopped by Spanish Civil People fleeing poverty and trols around Ceuta last
Guard police and Moroc- violence sometimes make year, allowing thousands of
can forces on either side of mass attempts to reach migrants to cross into Spain.
the border fence. Melilla and the other Span- The move was viewed as
Morocco’s Interior Ministry ish territory on the North retaliation for Spain’s deci-
said in a statement that the African coast, Ceuta, as a sion to allow the leader of
casualties occurred when springboard to continental Western Sahara’s pro-inde-
people tried to climb the Europe. pendence movement to
iron fence. Spain normally relies on be treated for COVID-19 at
It said five migrants were Morocco to keep migrants a Spanish hospital.
killed and 76 injured, and away from the border. Tensions between the two
140 Moroccan security of- Over two days at the be- countries began to thaw
ficers were injured. The in- ginning of March, more earlier this year after Spain
jured were hospitalized in than 3,500 people tried backed Morocco’s plan
Riot police officers cordon off the area after migrants arrive on Nador, it said. to scale the six-meter (20- to grant more autonomy
Spanish soil and crossing the fences separating the Spanish Spanish officials said 49 foot) barrier that surrounds to Western Sahara, where
enclave of Melilla from Morocco in Melilla, Spain, Friday, June Civil Guards sustained mi- Melilla and nearly 1,000 activists are seeking full
24, 2022. nor injuries and 57 migrants made it across, according independence.q
Associated Press had to be treated, three to Spanish authorities.