* Abdul Rezak Ali v. Obama (D.D.C. Jan. 11, 2011)
In a 15-page opinion posted here, Judge Leon has denied habeas relief to another GTMO detainee. In this case, the court concluded that:
– Abu Zubaydah’s organization was an “associated force” connected to al Qaeda and directly engaged in hostilities against the United States, thus coming under the AUMF (citing the Circuit decision in Barhoumi) (Ali did not dispute this point)
– Ali was a member of Zubaydah’s organization (Ali did dispute this point)
– membership was established by evidence showing that:
– Ali was captured along with Zubaydah and others at Zubaydah’s guesthouse in Faisalibad, Pakistan
– Ali had been taking a Zubaydah-provided course in English at that house
– Ali would not have been permitted to live for an extended period in close proximity to Zubaydah and his lieutenants if not part of the group
– Ali had been in Afghanistan (contrary to his denials)
– Ali was listed by a code name as a permanent member of Zubaydah’s group in the al Suri diary (kept by another group member)
– Ali admitted during his initial post-capture interrogation that he had gone to Afghanistan to fight the US and its allies