Why is Ghana Taking in ‘Al-Qaeda Prisoners Deemed A Threat to USA?’ | Some ‘Political Nutters’ Must Have Signed A Deal While Sleeping

Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef, an admitted member of the Taliban who fought for Usama bin Laden, was transferred from Guantanamo to the government of Ghana. (Department of Defense)

Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef, an admitted member of the Taliban who fought for Usama bin Laden, was transferred from Guantanamo to the government of Ghana. (Department of Defense)

Yesterday, it emerged that Ghana will soon become home to two Guantanamo Bay inmates with Al Qaeda ties—prisoners USA has determined as a threat to its national security.

You do not need to be an expert in international relations or a fan of USA’s political jingoism which has created countless enemies within and outside for the country to comprehend why these transfers—but why Ghana remains the puzzle.

Ghana for many years has housed several refugees and it would be unfair, grossly non-humanitarian to refuse to take our fair share of refugees from the various war disturbed countries—that is the spirit of humanitarianism that binds us together as a human civilisation.

But prisoners transfer is a whole different ball game, perhaps, even not well thought through by a bunch of ‘political nutters’ who are on perpetual sleeping cruise on the job.

According to the FoxNews, one of the two prisoners being brought from Guantanamo Bay to Ghana-Bin Atef “is an admitted member of the Taliban and fought for Usama bin Laden, while [the other] Al-Dhuby trained with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.”

The website adds; “the two inmates [who have spent close to 14 years in prison] are the first of a group of 17 detainees expected to be transferred out of Guantanamo Bay that includes “multiple bad guys” and “Al Qaeda followers.”

Though Ghana’s Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said the two prisoners “have been cleared of any involvement in any terrorist activities” but are unable to return to Yemen,” FoxNews says, “Pentagon had earlier determined that bin Atef was a high risk to the U.S. and to American interests, while Al-Dhuby posed a medium risk.”

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At this stage, the question most Ghanaians are asking is; are these two prisoners truly national security threats or not—and if they are, why Ghana, a small West African country with little military might to deal with any dust of insurgency?

On the face of it, it seems President Obama is rapidly rolling through his ‘failed’ promised to shut down Guantanamo Bay—and that explains the search for dumping grounds, with Ghana as always buying into whatever was presented.

If a prisoner is indeed a threat to the United States despite its top-notch security strength, then Ghanaians have every right to be told about the inner workings of a deal which will be sending two of these USA threats to Ghana—assuming the threats are non-transferable, depending on which country houses the threat.

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The about 105 prisoners America is looking to transfer around the world with Ghana taking in two so far reportedly “includes multiple bad guys, [and not some sort of normal prisoners or] taxi drivers and cooks.”

Apparently, the United States in 2012 transferred one of such prisoners-Ibrahim al Qosi to Sudan in 2012. “Despite entering a “re-integration program,” the one-time cook for Usama bin Laden has now fled to Yemen, where he is among the leadership of Al Qaeda in Yemen. That transfer is now said to be a source of considerable heartburn for the Obama administration.”

Even for just this particular reason, Ghanaians ought to be given in-depth details and the needed assurance from the Foreign Ministry in relation to this prisoners transfer—and not just release a lousy press statement, as if the government is just announcing the arrival of two bags of rice into the country.

Personally, I have no qualms about the in-take of refugees but we cannot allow prisoners transfers to pass through with aplomb, as if Ghana is a little inhabitable branch of the United States or its citizens deserve to live under fear—especially when citizens of United States have reportedly been deemed as too “beautiful” to deal with the same threat.

This must be a deal worth something unimaginable, or else, why would a government start an election year this way—by throwing the whole political landscape into such a deranged panic?

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