Guantánamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Updated for Summer 2010)
12.7.10
Please support my work!
In March 2009, I published a four-part list identifying all 779 prisoners held at Guantánamo since the prison opened on January 11, 2002, which I updated in January this year. To keep up with developments over the last six months, I have now updated it again, and the four parts of the list are available here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
As I explained when I first compiled the list, the original product of my research was my book The Guantánamo Files, in which, based on an exhaustive analysis of 8,000 pages of documents released by the Pentagon (plus other sources), I related the story of Guantánamo, established a chronology explaining where and when the prisoners were seized, told the stories of around 450 of these men (and boys), and provided a context for the circumstances in which the remainder of the prisoners were captured.
The list provides references to the chapters in The Guantánamo Files where the prisoners’ stories can be found, and also provides numerous links to the hundreds of articles that I have written over the last three years, for a variety of publications, expanding on and updating the stories of all 779 prisoners. In particular, I have covered the stories of the 199 prisoners released from Guantánamo between June 2007 and May 2010 in unprecedented depth, as well as the 50 prisoners whose habeas corpus petitions have been the subject of rulings in the District Court in Washington D.C. (see “Guantánamo Habeas Results: The Definitive List” for links to all my articles, and to the judges’ rulings). I also covered the stories of the 27 prisoners charged in Guantánamo’s Military Commission trial system under the Bush administration (and have covered the handful of cases revived, falteringly, by President Obama) in more detail than is, or was available from most, if not all other sources.
In addition, the list also includes links to the 12 online chapters, published between November 2007 and February 2009 (see the links in the left-and column), in which I told the stories of over 250 prisoners that I was unable to include in the book (either because they were not available at the time of writing, or to keep the book at a manageable length).
As a result — and notwithstanding the fact that the New York Times had made a list of documents relating to each prisoner available online — I maintain that I am justified in stating that the list is “the most comprehensive list ever published of the 779 prisoners who have been held at Guantánamo,” providing details of the 591 prisoners released (and the dates of their release), and the 181 prisoners still held (including information on those cleared for release by military review boards under the Bush administration or by President Obama’s Guantánamo Review Task Force), for the same reason that my book provides what I have been told is an unparalleled introduction to Guantánamo and the stories of the men held there: because it provides a much-needed context for these stories that is difficult to discern in the Pentagon’s documents without detailed analysis.
This update to the four parts of the list draws on the 150+ articles that I have published in the last six months, tracking the Obama administration’s lamentable failure to close the prison as promised, to thoroughly repudiate the Bush administration’s policies, and to hold anyone accountable for introducing torture as official policy. Throughout this period, I have reported the stories of the 17 prisoners released, and have also covered the habeas petitions in unprecedented detail. I am pleased to report that 37 habeas cases have now been won by the prisoners (out of 51 in total), but I remain concerned that the District Court judges are obliged to approve the ongoing detention of soldiers at Guantánamo, when they should be held as prisoners of war, and I’m also disappointed that President Obama has only released 59 prisoners since he took office.
Of the 181 prisoners who remain, 97 have been approved for release by the Task Force and 35 are scheduled to face trials, but 48 others have been designated as suitable for indefinite detention without charge or trial — a distressing development that may well mark the nadir of President Obama’s promise to mark any kind of meaningful change from his predecessor. One other man, Ali Hamza al-Bahlul, is serving a life sentence after a one-sided trial by Military Commission in 2008 (although his sentence is being appealed), and another — Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani — was transferred to the US mainland to face a federal court trial in May 2009, before Congress descended into the kind of cynical scaremongering that regards trial for terrorists — and respect for the Constitution — as somehow quaint and obsolete.
As for my intention, it remains the same as it did when I first published the list. As I explained at the time:
It is my hope that this project will provide an invaluable research tool for those seeking to understand how it came to pass that the government of the United States turned its back on domestic and international law, establishing torture as official US policy, and holding men without charge or trial neither as prisoners of war, protected by the Geneva Conventions, nor as criminal suspects to be put forward for trial in a federal court, but as “illegal enemy combatants.”
I also hope that it provides a compelling explanation of how that same government, under the leadership of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, established a prison in which the overwhelming majority of those held — at least 93 percent of the 779 men and boys imprisoned in total — were either completely innocent people, seized as a result of dubious intelligence or sold for bounty payments, or Taliban foot soldiers, recruited to fight an inter-Muslim civil war that began long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and that had nothing to do with al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or international terrorism.
To this I would only add that, nearly a year and a half after President Obama took office, I hope that the list and its references provide a useful antidote to the administration’s apparent paralysis, and to the cynical scaremongering of lawmakers that I outlined above.
Nearly six months on from President Obama’s failure to close Guantánamo by his self-imposed deadline of January 22, 2010, it now seems almost inconceivable that so many of us once thought it possible, because of the extent to which the administration has lost its purpose, and the extent to which lawmakers (and media pundits) delight in channeling the lies and distortions of former Vice President Dick Cheney, with an arrogant disregard for how ridiculous this appears to the rest of the world.
Six months ago, I mentioned that there was no reason for complacency. That was perhaps optimistic, as now I can only exhort those who oppose torture, arbitrary detention and political bankruptcy to resist despair. However, as the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, it remains imperative — for those of us who call for the full reinstatement of the Geneva Conventions for prisoners of war, federal court trials for terrorists and accountability for those who authorized torture — that we maintain the pressure to close Guantánamo, and to charge or release the prisoners held there, as swiftly as possible.
Andy Worthington
London
July 12, 2010
Andy Worthington is the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by Macmillan in the US, and available from Amazon — click on the following for the US and the UK) and of two other books: Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and The Battle of the Beanfield. To receive new articles in your inbox, please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in January 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (co-directed by Polly Nash and Andy Worthington, currently on tour in the UK, and available on DVD here), and my definitive Guantánamo habeas list, and, if you appreciate my work, feel free to make a donation.
Cross-posted on My Catbird Seat, Dissident Voice, Common Dreams, The Public Record, United Progressives, Uruknet and What Really Happened. It was also linked to on the front page of Antiwar.com, and was “Website of the Day” on CounterPunch.
Who's still at Guantánamo?
48 Responses
Tweets that mention Guantánamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Updated for Summer 2010) | Andy Worthington -- Topsy.com says...
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andy Worthington. Andy Worthington said: Guantanamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Updated for Summer 2010) – Releases, habeas results, background stories: http://bit.ly/9JXOCh […]
...on July 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Melissa Larson says...
After having experienced being an innocent in prison, I know how easily one can be picked up and detained for lies and rumor. It is an unbelievable hell to be accused of lies and left in prison (for years) with no compensation or apologies upon release. The ones who get away with all the lies should be put on trial for war crimes and face rehabilitation. How do we turn this around?
...on July 13th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
What if? - Page 5 - Fresh Horizon says...
[…] […]
...on July 14th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Andy Worthington says...
On Common Dreams, Cee Miracles wrote:
My deepest respect, Mr. Worthington for the work you began and your dedication to its completion.
There is no heartbeat on earth that is not somehow our own.
If we could only get that, you would have to find another subject and perhaps even another line of work. Somehow I don’t think you’d mind.
peace, cm
...on July 14th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Siouxrose wrote:
Mr. Worthington, thank you for your efforts in working to maintain a viable record of the masquerade that went on in the name of justice (or war on terrorism) during the nation’s nadir. Last night I watched “Midnight Express” for the 2nd time in many years. The scenes of the young American man held hostage to the laws of Turkey and its prison system sent shudders through me as it was now abundantly clear that similar seemingly primitive tactics were being used by our own nation’s purported government in its own hollows of hell.
For the purpose of empathy, I’d recommend that CD posters view this film again. And while doing so, imagine that what the sympathetic American youth was forced to undergo has become a common practice in our nation’s off-shored prison gulags.
The “Shining City on the Hill” has encountered a significant Light problem.
...on July 14th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
From Andy Worthington – | The Jeff Farias Show says...
[…] updated my four-part definitive Guantanamo prisoner list, bringing the project up-to-date with new links to the last six months of habeas results, releases […]
...on July 14th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Andy Worthington « Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton and Charles Goyette says...
[…] Worthington, author of The Guantanamo Files, discusses his updated “definitive prisoner list” for Guantanamo, how the US whisked away the real suspected terrorists to CIA black sites and […]
...on July 15th, 2010 at 3:49 am
Antiwar Radio: Andy Worthington | ScottHortonShow says...
[…] Worthington, author of The Guantanamo Files, discusses his updated “definitive prisoner list” for Guantanamo, how the US whisked away the real suspected terrorists to CIA black sites and […]
...on July 17th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
A.LOEWENSTEIN ONLINE NEWSLETTER | Shoah says...
[…] seem to care that there are still hundreds of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay never having faced trial. British writer Andy Worthington is a notable exception and his coverage is […]
...on July 19th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Danny says...
Andy Worthington’s dedication to expose the grotesque injustice at Guantanamo is to be lauded. Without his persistence(and that of a few others), the flaunting of international law by both the UK and USA governments would likely stay undetected. Kudos to Mr. Worthington. If only many more U.S. Congress reps and MPs in Britain would have similar courage & integrity, the world would be headed in a much more progressive direction than it is now. Peace.
...on July 21st, 2010 at 6:58 am
Andy Worthington says...
Thanks for the supportive words, Danny. Very good to hear from you.
...on July 21st, 2010 at 9:10 am
ANDY WORTHINGTON: Introducing the Definitive List of the Remaining Prisoners in Guantánamo | My Catbird Seat says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on September 18th, 2010 at 4:46 am
ANDY WORTHINGTON: Introducing the Definitive List of the Remaining Prisoners in Guantánamo | Dark Politricks says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on September 18th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
In the Case of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, Torture Apologists Are Everywhere « Margot B. News says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on October 14th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
LIST OF REMAINING PRISONERS IN GUANTANAMO | SHOAH says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on October 30th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Psyche, Science, and Society » Worthington on Bush’s torture brag says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebookand Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on November 7th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Ten Thoughts About Julian Assange and WikiLeaks « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on December 15th, 2010 at 10:22 am
As Activists Plan Protest for 9th Anniv. of Guantánamo, Former Gitmo Commander Subpoenaed in Spain over Prisoner Torture + Ending Bush’s big lie on Guantánamo « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 8th, 2011 at 1:58 am
Close Gitmo, End Torture Demonstration at U.S. Justice Department + Obama to Sanction Indefinite Gitmo Detention « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 12th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Countering Pentagon Propaganda About Prisoners Released from Guantánamo « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 19th, 2011 at 11:25 am
Obama’s Collapse: The Return of the Military Commissions « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 26th, 2011 at 1:00 am
Gvantanamo aizspogulija « socialismslv says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found onFacebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 1st, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Not that I’m aware of, Elsbeth. I was planning on looking into it myself.
And there’s also, of course, Mamdouh Habib in Australia.
...on February 1st, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Revolution in Egypt – and the Hypocrisy of the US and the West « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 2nd, 2011 at 7:56 am
Guantánamo Prisoner Dies After Being Held for Nine Years Without Charge or Trial | The Muslim Justice Initiative says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 6th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Battle for Britain: Fighting the Coalition Government’s Vile Ideology — and Praise for UK Uncut « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 13th, 2011 at 4:06 am
Compelling New Evidence About Aafia Siddiqui’s Detention by the ISI, and Her Rigged Trial in the US « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 15th, 2011 at 3:21 am
Revolution in Libya: Protestors Respond to Gaddafi’s Murderous Backlash with Remarkable Courage; US and UK Look Like the Hypocrites They Are | NO LIES RADIO says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 22nd, 2011 at 6:54 am
The Year of Revolution: The “War on Tyranny” Replaces the “War on Terror” by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on February 24th, 2011 at 3:56 am
The New American Revolution: Are Wisconsin’s 100,000 Protestors A Sign of Further Resistance to Come? « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see mydefinitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on March 1st, 2011 at 11:37 am
The “Dark Side” of Bagram: An Ex-Prisoner’s Account of Two Years of Abuse | Islamabad Times Online says...
[…] to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and YouTube). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on April 10th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Dhiislam English » The “Dark Side” of Bagram: An Ex-Prisoner’s Account of Two Years of Abuse says...
[…] to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and YouTube). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on April 11th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
More Evidence of Medical Experimentation at Guantánamo « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on April 16th, 2011 at 6:18 am
WikiLeaks Reveals Secret Guantánamo Files, Exposes Detention Policy as a Construct of Lies « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on April 25th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Psyche, Science, and Society » Worthington explains Guantánamo Detainee Assessment Briefs says...
[…] to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and YouTube). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on May 2nd, 2011 at 1:21 pm
The Unjustifiable Defense of Torture and Gitmo by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on May 6th, 2011 at 12:20 am
FFF – Commentaries – No End to the “War on Terror,” No End to Guantánamo « Translations says...
[…] subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on May 19th, 2011 at 1:03 am
Andy Worthington Discusses WikiLeaks and Guantánamo with Linda … » WeNewsIt says...
[…] to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and YouTube). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on May 30th, 2011 at 1:55 am
Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks: New Film by the Guardian Tells His … » WeNewsIt says...
[…] to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and YouTube). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on May 30th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
WikiLeaks and the 22 Children of Guantánamo by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on June 11th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
A Tribute to Anti-War Campaigner Brian Haw, Driven by Revulsion at the Murder of Innocents by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on June 20th, 2011 at 4:08 am
ARTICLE: Andy Worthington on “How the Abu Salim Prison Massacre in 1996 Inspired the Revolution in Libya” ‹ Libyan Council of North America says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found onFacebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on June 29th, 2011 at 2:43 am
Congress and the Dangerous Drive Towards Creating a Military State by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad says...
[…] subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on June 21st, 2012 at 6:44 am
Compelling New Evidence About Aafia Siddiqui’s Detention by the ISI, and Her Rigged Trial in the US | Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on November 8th, 2013 at 3:45 am
Death Penalty for Bradley Manning, the Alleged WikiLeaks Whistleblower? | Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 1st, 2014 at 1:39 am
Andy Worthington Discusses Guantánamo and WikiLeaks with Rob Kall of Op-Ed News | Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on January 1st, 2014 at 1:41 am
Torture and Terrorism: In the Middle East It’s 2011, In America It’s Still 2001 | Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on June 19th, 2014 at 1:41 am
As Activists Plan Protest for 9th Anniv. of Guantánamo, Former Gitmo Commander Subpoenaed in Spain over Prisoner Torture + Ending Bush’s big lie on Guantánamo | Dandelion Salad says...
[…] please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from […]
...on August 30th, 2014 at 12:43 am