Gouled Hassan Dourad

ISN: 10023

Nationality: Somali

The following is a summary of the allegations against Gouled Hassan Dourad 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.  

Dourad told US interrogators that he trained at the Khaldan militant training camp in Afghanistan. He told interrogators he was a member of AIAI, a Somali militant group. He also said he was a member of the East Africa Al Qaeda (EAAQ) network.

Dourad told US interrogators that he observed the US military base Camp Lemonier to see if it would be a viable target for a terrorist attack. He said he concluded it was not. Camp Lemonier is located in the country of Djibouti, which boarders Somalia.

Dourad’s DAB says that according to “credible reporting from multiple sources,” AIAI and EAAQ conducted operational planning and pre-operational surveillance on Camp Lemonier in late 2003 and early 2004. Dourad’s DAB says the militant groups decided to attack the base with explosives hidden in a water truck, but that arrests of their members in 2004 and 2005 disrupted the operation.

Abdul Malik told US interrogators that Dourad was a member of both AIAI and Al Qaeda. Malik would later say that at least some of his interrogations were conducted under duress.

The National Security Service of Djibouti reported that Dourad resided in the US awaiting his family’s sponsorship to the US. The agency said sponsorship was granted and that Dourad’s parents and siblings relocated to the US. The agency said Dourad returned to Somalia after the September 11 attacks. This report says Dourad was in the United States during the time he told interrogators he was training in Afghanistan.

Gouled Dourad did not attend his 2007 CSRT, but did provide statements to his personal representative. He said that was not a member of AIAI or Al Qaeda, but that he did fight alongside AIAI against the Ethiopians. He said he did not fight against Americans. He was not presented with the allegation that he observed Camp Lemonier in preparation for a potential attack. He did not contest the allegation that he received military training in Afghanistan.

Djiboutian Authorities captured Gouled Dourad at his home in March 2004 for his alleged involvement in terrorist activities. He was transferred to US custody and interrogated by the CIA, at a time when the CIA was authorized to torture prisoners. Dourad was sent to Guantanamo on September 4, 2006 to be prosecuted for alleged terrorist activities against the United States.

In January 2010 Obama’s Guantanamo task force recommended Gouled Dourad for continued detention.

Gouled Dourad is one of 15 high value detainees imprisoned at Camp 7. The high value detainees are imprisoned separately from the general population at Guantanamo.