Armed Conflict Criminal Justice & the Rule of Law Terrorism & Extremism

New GTMO Recidivism Report: Number of Former Detainees Suspected of Reengaging Doubles

Cody M. Poplin
Tuesday, March 8, 2016, 3:37 PM

Yesterday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its bi-annual report on the "Reengagement of Detainees Formerly Held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." According to the report, the number of former detainees released by the Obama administration suspected of reengaging in the fight has doubled—from 6 to 12—since the ODNI released its

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

Yesterday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its bi-annual report on the "Reengagement of Detainees Formerly Held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." According to the report, the number of former detainees released by the Obama administration suspected of reengaging in the fight has doubled—from 6 to 12—since the ODNI released its last report in September 2015. 8.3 percent of detainees released under the Obama administration are now suspected of reengaging in fighting.

The report finds that only one additional former detainee released by the Obama administration was confirmed to have rejoined the fight. That detainee was Ibrahim al Qosi, Osama bin Laden's former cook and driver. Al Qosi was released to Sudan in 2012, but recently appeared in a propaganda video for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, one detainee released by the Bush administration and confirmed of having reengaged in fighting was killed.

Jason Leopold of Vice News provides the full rundown on the recidivism report.

Summary of the Reengagement of Detainees Formerly Held at GTMO March 4 2016


Cody Poplin is a student at Yale Law School. Prior to law school, Cody worked at the Brookings Institution and served as an editor of Lawfare. He graduated from the UNC-Chapel Hill in 2012 with degrees in Political Science & Peace, War, and Defense.

Subscribe to Lawfare