The Department of Defense announced today that Ibrahim al Qosi was transferred from the detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Sudan.
In July 2010, al Qosi pleaded guilty in a military commission to both conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism, as defined by the Military Commissions Act. He was sentenced to 14 years confinement for his crimes. In exchange for cooperating with prosecutors as required by the terms of his pre-trial agreement, the Convening Authority for Military Commissions suspended all but two years of that sentence, starting from July 7, 2010, the date of his plea. The United States government has returned al Qosi to Sudan at the conclusion of the unsuspended portion of his sentence.
The United States coordinated with the government of Sudan regarding appropriate security and humane treatment measures. In accordance with statutory reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer al Qosi to Sudan.
Documents related to al Qosi’s military commission proceedings are available on the Office of Military Commissions website at: http://www.mc.mil/ .
Today, 168 detainees remain at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay.
Ibrahim al Qosi was a former cook for al-Qaeda.
Sudan, South Sudan move closer to war: South Sudanese leader Salva Kiir (shown above), in China to meet with President Hu Jintao, said Tuesday that his country’s “neighbour in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan.” This follows a comment by Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir last week that suggested they would crush the “insect” government to the south. The two countries — as a country, South Sudan is less than a year old — are locked in a deadly battle over a contested border, augmented by concerns over the valuable oil supply in the region. (photo by Phil Moore/AFP; EDIT: Removed use of phrase “civil war,” which was accidental. Apologies.)
Tensions rise between north and south: South Sudan took over a contested oilfield Tuesday, and said they would not leave the region until their northern neighbor, who they split from last July, stopped its attacks on the newly-formed nation. The oilfield is strategically important — it produces half of Sudan’s oil exports, and South Sudan claims it’s theirs. Many of the conflicts of late between the countries have come in part due to ill-defined borders, and this is just one example. As for the current situation South Kordofan Governor Ahmed Haroun said that crude oil production at Heglig, the site of the occupation. ”Our army is dealing with the situation. We hope we can finish that operation in hours,” Haroun said. source
They’re doing everything on their own, without the help of high-powered lobbyists. “Our country’s people have such a long story of struggle,” noted Deng Deng Nhial, the deputy head of the mission to launch the embassy. “Explaining our story will be the work of the embassy — introducing Washington and the community of nations to South Sudan and letting them know we are not just about war anymore. We are open for business.” High-fives to our new South Sudanese neighbors!
Sudan state radio: Khalil Ibrahim, top rebel army leader, killed: Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement in the country, was considered one of the strongest rebel leaders in Darfur, and his death complicates an ongoing civil war in the region. source
» A bad harbinger? Months after Sudan split in two, the attack on a South Sudanese refugee camp — filled with many fleeing from Sudan proper — could prove dangerous to the fragile new nation. The two countries have a long, troubled history together, with the most recent civil war (which led to the split earlier this year) ending in 2005 after 22 years. ”Whatever allegations Khartoum labels against the Republic of South Sudan are baseless, but intended to justify his pending invasion of the south,” said Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s first president, who says that while peaceful solutions are best, “we will never allow our sovereignty to be violated by anybody.”
Greetings to South Sudan, world’s newest country: A transition years in the making, the country of South Sudan ended years of constant war with the north a few years back and became a country of its own after voting on it democratically six months ago. Amid all the unrest in the world, this is a great thing to see — especially since the leader of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, made an appearance at the ceremonies to give his blessings. Above is a photo by NBA star Luol Deng, who is from the South Sudanese region, watching history happen. It certainly makes the lockout his league is in the midst of seem plainly insignificant. High-fives all around to the democratic process that made this possible.
![newsflick:
South Sudan army kills 55 fighters in clashes
At least 55 fighters were killed when south Sudan’s army clashed with a rebel group in Jonglei State, a state minister said on Sunday, the latest in a wave of violence across the territory ahead of its independence in July.
Scores of troops and civilians were injured in the clashes on Saturday, Peter Lam Both, Upper Nile State information minister, said.
The southern army (SPLA) clashed with forces loyal to renegade army commander Gabriel Tang during what was meant to be the reintegration of his forces into south Sudan’s army, Both said.
“We understand that on the side of [Tang’s forces] 55 were killed including five of his generals,” Both told Reuters, adding his information had come from the south Sudan army.
“We don’t have reports of those killed from the SPLA and civilian sides but the [overall] death toll must be much higher,” he said.
The minister said Malakal, the state capital, had received 34 wounded SPLA soldiers and 43 civilian injuries.
The clashes happened south of Malakal, just across the border in Jonglei State, Both said.
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South Sudan army kills 55 fighters in clashes
At least 55 fighters were killed when south Sudan’s army clashed with a rebel group in Jonglei State, a state minister said on Sunday, the latest in a wave of violence across the territory ahead of its independence in July.
Scores of troops and civilians were injured in the clashes on Saturday, Peter Lam Both, Upper Nile State information minister, said.
The southern army (SPLA) clashed with forces loyal to renegade army commander Gabriel Tang during what was meant to be the reintegration of his forces into south Sudan’s army, Both said.
“We understand that on the side of [Tang’s forces] 55 were killed including five of his generals,” Both told Reuters, adding his information had come from the south Sudan army.
“We don’t have reports of those killed from the SPLA and civilian sides but the [overall] death toll must be much higher,” he said.
The minister said Malakal, the state capital, had received 34 wounded SPLA soldiers and 43 civilian injuries.
The clashes happened south of Malakal, just across the border in Jonglei State, Both said.
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» The spit has something to do with it: The size of Sudan’s debt could effectively limit the region’s ability to get a fresh start as it splits into two. Southern Sudanese official Gabriel Changson Chang is making a hard push for the changes before the countries divide. “We want both the north and south to be economically viable,” he says. Current president Omar al-Bashir has made similar claims as well, and with good reason: Half of the country’s population currently lives on less than $1 a day and need some sort of food aid.
We will announce today in front of the world our acceptance and respect for the choice of the people of the south.Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir • Revealing that his country would accept the results of a country-splitting referendum between the north and south. The south chose, by a wide margin, to secede, a result that cuts back Bashir’s clout but could help stabilize the entire region. source (via • follow)
» Is the separation behind it? The Northern and Southern armies are set to split from one another as part of a larger breaking up of the country. It appears that the violence was rooted in a conflict over redeployment that would’ve sent soliders from the southern part of the country north, along with other soldiers in the unit.
daphranko asks: The news is centering around Egypt, but how goes Tunisia and Sudan?
» We say: We’ve been continuing to cover both countries – in Tunisia, the country is gearing up for an election, and a key Islamist spiritual leader just returned. While he’s not running for president, he may serve as a catalyst for Islamist parties in the country. In Sudan, their recent vote to split the country leaves quickly-growing new capitol Juba in a position where it’s quickly growing at breakneck speed.
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