– SHAKER AAMER

*Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer was born in Saudi Arabia in 1964 and arrived to UK in 1996 after he fought in Bosnia since 1994, where he trained also other Muslim volunteers in warfare. He is married to a Briton form Pakistani descent, Zinnira Siddique, and a father of four who lived in South London. Shaker  Aamer was applying for citizenship and had indefinite leave to stay in Britain.

Shaker  Aamer visited Afghanistan the first time in 1993, where stayed in suspect guest houses for few weeks. In 1998 Shaker  Aamer traveled to USA and from USA, in 1999, to yet another visit in Afghanistan, where he served for few months in the front line with the Northern Alliance in the ranks of the Taliban. In 08/2001 Shaker  Aamer left, for the last time, to Afghanistan, allegedly to work with a Saudi Islamic .  

Shaker  Aamer was captured in Afghanistan, where he had been involved in a project to build a school with the released British prisoner Moazzam Begg.  During operation Absolute Justice, in 12/2001, Shaker  Aamer was captured by local Afghans allied to USA and was handed over to the Americans.  At first Shaker  Aamer was held in a secret CIA prison at Bagram Aairbase. In 02/2002 Shaker  Aamer was transferred to Guantanamo. He was regarded as an Al Qaeda operative.

USA Intelligence obtained hard evidence that Shaker  Aamer traveled to Afghanistan with a stolen international false passport which was found in Al Qaeda’s hideout in the caves of Tora-Bora, Afghanistan. USA also has conclusive evidence that Shaker  Aamer attended Al Qaeda’s Khalden training camp in autumn 2001. Shaker  Aamer also received money from al Qaeda to carry on with his activity and met, at least once, with Osama Bin Laden. When Shaker  Aamer was arrested he led a group of armed Taliban fighters in Tora Bora.   

Since 08/2005, when Shaker  Aamer led a short-lived Prisoners’ Council in Guantanamo, he has been held in solitary confinement. In 11/2005, he was taking part in a huge hunger strike, which, at its height, involved at least 200 prisoners.  In 01/2007 he embarked on a second hunger strike as the only method left to him to highlight his predicament and that of his fellow prisoners.  Eventfully Shaker Aamer was fed by force.

Today (02/2009) Shaker  Aamer is still detained in Guantanamo.

 

 

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