Abdelrazak Ali Abdelrahman

ISN: 685

Nationality: Algerian

The following is a summary of the allegations against Abdelrazak Ali Abdelrahman found in publicly available US military documents. If US military documents about this prisoner are inaccurate or misleading then this summary will be as well. The introduction to this set of summaries explains some of the terms used below.  

Abu Zubaydah identified Abdelrazak as a member of his “Khaldan group.” Zubaydah also said that he invited Abdelrazak to join his Martyr’s Brigade, a unit Zubaydah said he conceived while in jail in Pakistan. Zubaydah said the brigade was originally created to conduct attacks against US-based targets employing remotely detonated explosives activated by Pakistan-based triggermen using cell phones.

According to Abdelrazak’s DAB, “the residents of the Issa Safe House were part of a network poised to launch attacks against American installations and embassies in various countries.” Zubaydah said his long-term intent was to train suicide bombers and place IEDs to attack US and Coalition targets in Afghanistan.

Ibn Al Shaykh Al Libi said Abdelrazak attended Khaldan, a militant training camp Al Shaykh ran. Abu Zubaydah, who helped the trainees at Khaldan with travel arrangements, also said Abdelrazak attended Khaldan. Al Shaykh said Abdelrazak was not a member of Al Qaeda because Al Qaeda does not accept Algerians.

All of these allegations come from either Abu Zubaydah or Ibn Al Shaykh Al Libi. Both of these prisoners were tortured extensively by the CIA. It is not clear if these claims came before, during, or after their torture.

Abdelrazak says he was in Pakistan preforming missionary work for Tablighi Jamaat. He said the only time he was in Afghanistan was after he was sent there after he was captured. He denies any involvement with Al Qaeda and said he never attended Khaldan.

According to Stratfor, Tablighi Jamaat (which means Group for Preaching), “sends missionaries across the globe on proselytizing missions intended to bring wayward Muslims back to more orthodox practices of Islam.”

Abdelrazak’s DAB says that, “Al Qaeda is known to have used JT to facilitate and fund the international travel of its members.”

Stratfor takes a more nuanced, and likely more accurate position on the relationship between TJ and Al Qaeda. 


“Although the TJ organization unintentionally serves as a front for, or conduit to, militant organizations such as al Qaeda, there is no evidence that the Tablighis act willingly as a global unified jihadist recruiting arm. Rather, such activities appear to occur without the knowledge or consent of TJ leaders. Additionally, because of the very size of the organization and its activities in Muslim communities in the West, a great many Muslims have had some sort of contact with the group. TJ itself, however, is not an intentional propagator of terrorism.”

Abdelrazak was captured by Pakistani forces during raids on safe houses in Faisalabad, Pakistan in March 2002. He was transferred to US custody in May 2002. He was sent to Guantanamo in June 2002. He was recommended for prosecution by Obama’s Guantanamo task force in January 2010.