Gouled Hassan Dourad
Encyclopedia
Gouled Hassan Dourad born 1974, is a citizen of Somalia
who is currently held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
Guantánamo Bay detainment camp
s in Cuba
.
Gouled Hassan Dourad arrived at Guantanamo on September 6, 2006, and has been held there for .
, Somalia
. When the Somali Civil War
erupted in 1991, his parents sent him to Germany
where he lived in a refugee camp
.
He traveled to Sweden
and gained asylum there in 1993.
In 1994, he attempted travel to the United States
but was turned back in Iceland
on account of his fraudulent passport.
before joining the Somali war effort.
Gouled trained at the Khalden camp
in weapons and explosives from January through October 1996, and at another camp in Khost
in assassination
techniques for several months.
By late 1996 he returned to Somalia.
American counterterrorism officials assert
Gouled became a member of AIAI in 1997 out of a commitment to support the Somali war against Ethiopia and to win the Ogaden
region of Ethiopia back to Somalia.
He fought against the Ethiopians in Ogaden off and on from 1997 to 2002 and trained AIAI fighters.
He allegedly became associated with al-Qaeda because its members were in Somalia and his AIAI cell supported the al-Qaeda.
Gouled was introduced to Abu Talha al-Sudani, who came to Mogadishu to hide following the Mombasa attacks in November 2003, in early 2003 by his AIAI cell leader.
Gouled was recruited to work for al-Sudani, in part, because he had trained in Afghanistan: spoke Arabic
, English
, some Swedish
and Somali
, and had a high-school education.
According to the United States Director of National Intelligence
, Gouled was the head of the Mogadishu-based facilitation network of al-Itihaad al-Islamiya
(AIAI) members that supported al-Qaeda
members in Somalia
.
Gouled was a member of a small, selective group of AIAI members who worked for the East African al-Qaida cell led by Abu Talha al-Sudani. Gouled's responsibilities included locating safehouses, assisting in the transfer of funds, and procuring weapons, explosives and other supplies. Gouled was privy to several terrorist plots under consideration by his AIAI cell, including shooting down an Ethiopia
n jetliner landing at an airport in Somalia in 2003 and kidnapping Western NGO
-workers in Hargeysa, Somalia, in 2002 as a means to raise money for future AIAI operations.
Following Gouled's arrest, AIAI terrorists on March 19, 2004, tried unsuccessfully to kidnap a German aid worker and murdered a Kenyan contract employee in Hargeysa.
Adar said her son was captured by a Somali warlord in 2004.
Adar was quoted as saying:
Africa News reports Goulad was captured by the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
, which was associated with the CIA.
Africa News reports that Goulad was one of dozens of captives apprehended by the Alliance.
Goulad's mother asserted that he had four children.
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
who is currently held in extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Guantánamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
s in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Gouled Hassan Dourad arrived at Guantanamo on September 6, 2006, and has been held there for .
Early life
Gouled was born in MogadishuMogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. When the Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
erupted in 1991, his parents sent him to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he lived in a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
.
He traveled to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and gained asylum there in 1993.
In 1994, he attempted travel to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but was turned back in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on account of his fraudulent passport.
Alleged ties to terrorism
According to American counter-terrorism officials, while in Sweden, Gouled attended a Somali mosque, whose imam arranged for Gouled and his friend, future AIAI bombmaker Qasim Mohamed, to train in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
before joining the Somali war effort.
Gouled trained at the Khalden camp
Khalden training camp
The Khalden training camp was a military training camp in Afghanistan. According to the documentary Son of al Qaeda there were hundreds of military training camps in Afghanistan which were tied to al Qaeda...
in weapons and explosives from January through October 1996, and at another camp in Khost
Khost
Khost or Khowst is a city in eastern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Khost province, which is a mountainous region near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan...
in assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
techniques for several months.
By late 1996 he returned to Somalia.
American counterterrorism officials assert
Gouled became a member of AIAI in 1997 out of a commitment to support the Somali war against Ethiopia and to win the Ogaden
Ogaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
region of Ethiopia back to Somalia.
He fought against the Ethiopians in Ogaden off and on from 1997 to 2002 and trained AIAI fighters.
He allegedly became associated with al-Qaeda because its members were in Somalia and his AIAI cell supported the al-Qaeda.
Gouled was introduced to Abu Talha al-Sudani, who came to Mogadishu to hide following the Mombasa attacks in November 2003, in early 2003 by his AIAI cell leader.
Gouled was recruited to work for al-Sudani, in part, because he had trained in Afghanistan: spoke Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, some Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, and had a high-school education.
According to the United States Director of National Intelligence
United States Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence , is the United States government official subject to the authority, direction and control of the President, who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for:...
, Gouled was the head of the Mogadishu-based facilitation network of al-Itihaad al-Islamiya
Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya
Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya or AIAI is a defunct Islamist militant group in Somalia that was added to the U.S. list of terrorist organizations on September 24, 2001...
(AIAI) members that supported al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
members in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
Gouled was a member of a small, selective group of AIAI members who worked for the East African al-Qaida cell led by Abu Talha al-Sudani. Gouled's responsibilities included locating safehouses, assisting in the transfer of funds, and procuring weapons, explosives and other supplies. Gouled was privy to several terrorist plots under consideration by his AIAI cell, including shooting down an Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n jetliner landing at an airport in Somalia in 2003 and kidnapping Western NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
-workers in Hargeysa, Somalia, in 2002 as a means to raise money for future AIAI operations.
Following Gouled's arrest, AIAI terrorists on March 19, 2004, tried unsuccessfully to kidnap a German aid worker and murdered a Kenyan contract employee in Hargeysa.
Mother's appeal
On November 23, 2009 Africa News published a profile of Gouled's mother, Adar Mohammed Yusuf, who asserted that he was innocent.Adar said her son was captured by a Somali warlord in 2004.
Adar was quoted as saying:
Africa News reports Goulad was captured by the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
The Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism was a Somali alliance created by various warlords and businesspeople. The alliance included Botan Ise Alin, Mohammed Dheere, Mohamed Qanyare, Musa Sudi Yalahow, Nuur Daqle, Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid, Omar Muhamoud Finnish and others...
, which was associated with the CIA.
Africa News reports that Goulad was one of dozens of captives apprehended by the Alliance.
Goulad's mother asserted that he had four children.