Guantanamo Review Panel Considers Release of Tortured al-Qaida Associate Abu Zubaydah

Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian born in Saudi Arabia who was captured in Pakistan in 2002 and later tortured at CIA black sites, sat silently at a Guantanamo Bay periodic review hearing on Thursday. Government officials described him as a probable close aide to Osama bin Laden, while his counsel Annika Conrad and Ahmed Almudallal maintained he was never an al-Qaida member and now poses no threat. They highlighted his severe injuries—including loss of an eye and memory problems—and urged the board to approve his transfer, which would start a multi-year search for a host country.

The chief military prosecutor has reportedly said charges are unlikely, and the Periodic Review Board, created under the Obama administration, issued no immediate decision. A live, unclassified video feed of the hearing was provided to reporters at Fort Meade, Maryland.