Shamshato Refugee Camp

The Shamshato refugee camp is a large refugee camp 25 kilometers southeast of Peshawar, Pakistan.[1][2] Peshawar lies just east of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which line Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

American intelligence analysts asserted during Guantanamo captive Sharifullah's Combatant Status Review Tribunal and his annual Administrative Review Board hearings that his stay in the refugee camp established an "enemy combatant" because they believed recruiters from the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin militia had tried to recruit fighters within the camp.[3][4][5] Sharifullah testified that he had been unaware of any militant presence during his stay in the camp.[6]

During his 2005 and 2006 reviews Guantanamo captive Awal Gul faced two allegations concerned with the camp:[7][8]

  • "The detainee stayed at the Shamshateau refugee camp in Pakistan where he worked closely with his commander."
  • "The Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) headquarters and operations center was located in Shamshato, near Peshawar, Pakistan."

These allegations were not present during his 2004 Combatant Status Review Tribunal, and were dropped from his third annual review in 2007.[9][10]

According to the American counter-terrorism think-tank The Jamestown Foundation the camp is surrounded by a two-meter tall mud-brick wall, and its 2,000 occupants are all loyal to Hekmatyar.[1] The Pakistani newspaper Dawn also reports that the camp is a center of support for Hekmatyar.[11]

Shahabuddin Hekmatyar, the younger brother of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin was arrested outside the camp on August 17, 2008.[2]

References
  1. Omid Marzban (2007-05-24). "Shamshatoo Refugee Camp: A Base of Support for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  2. Syed Saleem Shahzad (2008-08-23). "Afghan numbers don't add up". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 2009-04-29.
  3. OARDEC (2004-12-14). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- LNU, Sharifullah" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  4. OARDEC (2005-07-21). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of LNU, Sharifullah" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 66–68. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  5. OARDEC (2006-04-30). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of (LNU), Sharifullah" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 97–99. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  6. OARDEC (date redacted). "Summarized Detainee Sworn Statement" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 79–97. Retrieved 2008-03-07. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. OARDEC (2005-08-05). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Gul, Awal". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  8. OARDEC (2006-08-01). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Gul, Awal". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  9. OARDEC (2004-09-07). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- Gul, Awal". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  10. OARDEC (2007-08-24). "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Gul, Awal". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  11. "PESHAWAR/QUETTA: DPs take active part in polls". Dawn. 2004-10-10. Archived from the original on 2009-04-29.


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