Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr

ISN: 695

Nationality: Libyan

The following is a summary of the allegations against Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr found in publicly available US military documents. If US military documents about this prisoner are inaccurate or misleading, this summary will be as well. The introduction to this set of summaries explains some of the terms used below.

Omar Abu Bakr told US interrogators that he joined the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) in 1992, the year the group was founded. He said LIFG trained him in the use of explosives and AK-47s.

LIFG declared Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi un-Islamic and attempted to overthrow his government. Some LIFG fighters focused on toppling Gaddaffi while others aligned with Osama Bin Laden or became active in the international Mujahedin network in other ways.

Abu Bakr said LIFG smuggled him into Sudan after he learned Libyan intelligence planned to question him about his participation in LIFG. He said he supervised drivers in Osama Bin Laden’s trucking company in Sudan.

LIFG sent Abu Bakr to Afghanistan. Abu Bakr said he attended a LIFG militant training camp in Afghanistan where he received training on AK-47s, machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and rocket propelled grenades. He said the training included target practice with silhouettes and mock training on sets representing towns and drive by shootings or ambush attacks from moving vehicles and motorcycles.

He said he also trained at Al Qaeda’s Jihad Wahl militant training camp in Afghanistan.

Omar Abu Bakr does not have a right leg. He has given US interrogators various explanations about how he lost his leg. The US military believes the following story is the most accurate one. Omar Abu Bakr said Abd Al Hadi Al Iraqi asked him to help clear a minefield. In the process of doing so Abu Bakr stepped on a mine. He awoke in a Kabul hospital to find that his right leg had been amputated.

Two Al Qaeda suspects, Malik Al Andalusi and Nasir Al Maghribi, said Abu Bakr was a member of LIFG’s military committee.

Zuhail Al Sharabi identified Abu Bakr as the leader of a Libyan militant training camp in Afghanistan. Al Sharabi stated he traveled to Afghanistan specifically to train at this camp. Abu Bakr has admitted to being a trainer in Afghanistan.

A former Guantanamo prisoner, Abd Al Sharikh stated he trained under Abu Bakr, who he said was the head trainer at the Libyan camp in September 2001.

Ahmed Ghailani identified Abu Bakr as a trainer at Al Qaeda’s Al Faruq training camp. Ahmed Al Darbi also identified Abu Bakr as an instructor at Al Faruq. 

When shown a photo of Abu Bakr, former Guantanamo prisoner Humud Al Jadani said Abu Badr was a close friend of Al Nashiri, who has been charged with carrying out the attack on the USS Cole.

Omar Abu Bakr told US interrogators he fought against advancing US and coalition forces in November 2001.

Omar Abu Bakr was captured with other suspected militants when Pakistani authorities raided two Faisalabad safe houses, which they believed were under the command of Abu Zubaydah in March 2002. 

Omar Abu Bakr was sent to Guantanamo on August 5, 2002.

Abu Bakr has threatened to kill the guards at Guantanamo, including threatening to kill “all MPs” (military police) on several occasions.

Omar Abu Bakr declined to take part in his 2004 CSRT. He told his personal representative, “I would rather be in the worst American jail than be a minister in my country. I want to stay here.”

In January 2010 Obama’s inter-agency Guantanamo task force recommended Omar Abu Bakr for continued detention.

Libyan rebels toppled the government of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi with the help of NATO air strikes in 2011.

Rival militias continue to fight each other for power in Libya to this day.