The Allegations against Sufyian Barhoumi

ISN: 694

Nationality: Algerian

The following is a summary of the allegations against Sufyian Barhoumi 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.   

Sufyian told US interrogators he attended 3 militant training camps in Afghanistan. Two Guantanamo prisoners, Mohmedou Ould Slahi and Jabran Al Qahtani, said that Sufyian was an explosives trainer. Jabran Al Qahtani also said Sufyian was an electronics trainer. Another Guantanamo prisoner, Ahmed Mohammed Al Darbi, said that Sufyian was a trainer at the Khalden militant training camp. Al Darbi says that Sufyian told him he was only at Khaldan to train before going back to Algeria to fight.

The next few claims about Sufyian Barhoumi in his DAB are sourced to “sensitive reporting.” Two of these claims relate to Abu Zubaydah, which means that “sensitive reporting” may refer to Abu Zubaydah’s torture, up to and including waterboarding. Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded at least 83 times.

According to “sensitive reporting,” Sufyian spoke with Al-Qaeda’s second most senior explosives specialist, Abd Al-Rahman Al Muhajir, in 2001 in Kabul. Sufyian reportedly said that Muhajir was seeking his expertise in the development of remote control devices. The US government believes that Al Muhajir was the bomb-maker in the bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

Also according to “sensitive reporting” Sufyian met with Abu Zubaydah many times from 1996 to 2002 and disclosed to Al Qaeda leaders that he was a trained remote control devise specialist who had training in car bombs, explosives, and small arms. Sufyian’s DAB says that remote control devises are used for the purpose of detonating explosives.

“Sensitive reporting” also says that Sufyian went to Abu Zubaidah’s residence in Faisalabad Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan, where they organized a remote control training session. Abu Zubaidah provided the funds to purchase the parts and at least 2 Saudis participated in the training. Based on other US government documents, it is possible these two Saudis were Abdullah al Sharbi and Jabran al Qahtani. Sufyian reportedly claimed to have fought against coalition forces in 2001.

Through his lawyer Barhoumi told the Wall Street Journal he, “was in the wrong place at the wrong time” and that, “he had never seen Mr. Zubaydah before arriving at the safe house.”

Sufyian was captured in March 2002 by Pakistani security forces during a night raid. Abu Zubaidah was also captured during that raid. He was later transferred to US custody. He arrived at Guantanamo in June 2002.