Al-Qaeda suspects escape from high-security prison http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1690044,00.html FOUR prisoners described as dangerous enemy combatants escaped from the main American military base in Afghanistan yesterday, the latest embarrassment for commanders there who were already struggling with their worst military losses in four years. A huge manhunt, using helicopters and American ground forces, was under way after the four men were discovered missing from the heavily fortified prison at the Bagram air base, north of Kabul. American military officials would not comment on the identities of the men but an Afghan official said that they were all from Arab countries and suspected al-Qaeda members. Kabir Ahmed, the district chief of Bagram, identified the men as Abdullah Hashimi, from Syria, Mehmood Ahmed Mohammed, from Kuwait, Mehmood Alfathani, from Saudi Arabia, and Mohammed Hassan, from Libya. The escape comes less than two weeks after 19 soldiers died in a botched mission in the restive east of the country, 16 of them in a helicopter shot down by Taleban fighters. It was the single biggest combat loss for the Americans since the invasion in 2001. Dozens of American troops could be seen stopping and searching vehicles yesterday around the sprawling air base and in neighbouring villages while helicopters flew overhead checking for signs of the prisoners. Lieutenant-Colonel Jerry O’Hara, the military spokesman at Bagram, said: “We consider this very serious business. “These guys are dangerous not only to Afghanistan but to the world in general.” The men were discovered to be missing at 5am local time. Officials said that they could not rule out that they may still be on the sprawling base. “I can’t give specifics on how they escaped,” Colonel O’Hara said. “The circumstances surrounding the escape are under investigation as we speak.” Bagram, a former Soviet air base, is guarded by hundreds of troops and has high concrete walls, razor-wire fences and searchlights. There are two main gates, one manned by Afghan guards, the other by American forces. Access to the prison facility is strictly limited. The spokesman confirmed that it was the first time that anyone had escaped. The prison has housed hundreds of suspected militants since the war to oust the Taleban began in late 2001. Senior al-Qaeda suspects arrested in neighbouring Pakistan and elsewhere have also been held at the base, where there have been reports of abuse and deaths in custody after torture and beating. About 450 suspects are being held at Bagram. On Saturday 76 Afghan prisoners were released as part of a continuing effort to promote national reconciliation.
Not true, I heard it on one of the cable networks last night, I am not sure which one because I was switching back and forth, but I believe it was CNN.
guy on the bottom right has clean white smile...straight teeth..may have had braces. these guys aren't impoverished.
The leaders aren't impoverished, nor are the ones used for high-level missions. The impoverished ones are the "foot soldiers" essentially - people that can be easily manipulated by well-educated leaders. The leaders are probably a mix of power-hungry types and true believers, while the ones used for high-level missions (9/11, etc) are probably primarily the true believers, being manipulated by the leaders.
They are just escaping the horrible torture. They are heading back to Iraq to denounce the suicide bombings.
If you or anyone else can provide a link to a major US news outlet (CNN in particular) that is reporting this, I will be very impressed.
Nah. They're gonna be Iraq's four man bobsled team in the next Winter Olympics, and they need to head back to Iraq to begin training.
Once again the liberals are quick to point out our brave troops' mishaps, yet slow to give them credit. NOT SURPRISING IN THE LEAST
From Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/news/world/ar...cted_terrorists_escape_prison_in_afghanistan/ 4 suspected terrorists escape prison in Afghanistan Breakout is first from US compound By Associated Press | July 12, 2005 BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- Four suspected Arab terrorists broke out of a US military detention facility in Afghanistan yesterday, fleeing through barbed wire stockades in the first escape from the compound since the American military took over the former Soviet airbase.
This war has been a real yawner. Until someone starts firing missles, I'll keep flipping the channel.
texxx, you can yell if you like... doesn't bother me. And, unless you are both the same person having incredibly good fun at our expense, I can discern the difference between your posts and Trader_J's. WHAT I CANNOT ABIDE IS THAT YOUR "LINK" IN YOUR SIGNATURE REGARDING MS. ALBA DOESN'T WORK!!! Keep D&D Civil!!
I concede you (or someone else) can easily dig up a story by now, but I could find virtually nothing from major US media 4-5 hours ago with google news search, while it was being widely reported in non-US news outlets all over the place. BTW, Boston Globe is not as a big player as those Big 4 (or 5, if you count FoxNews).
I agree, I don't know how anyone can identify them. They all have a beard, wear a hat/wrap, and dress in star wars clothes. Good luck finding Kenobi.
