Free Fayiz

I’ve done a series of posts on Guantanamo Bay detainee Fayiz Al-Kandari and all things Gitmo for over two years now, and finally, finally, CNN is reporting on him. Please read my summary here, and CNN’s excellent post here.

And please don’t let this story go by the wayside. Imagine if Fayiz were your friend or your child:

Abu Dhabi, UAE (CNN) — In the summer of 2001, Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari, the eldest son of a large family, left Kuwait to travel to Afghanistan. His stated purpose was to do charitable work, assisting with the reconstruction of two wells and the repair of a mosque.

His trip was for the sake of his mother who had cancer so there would be “more blessings from God on her behalf,” according to a member of the Al Kandari family. He had traveled to Afghanistan before on charitable work in 1997 — and to Bosnia in 1994.

But this visit would end up with a much longer and unintended journey — to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Nearly 10 years later, Al Kandari remains incarcerated at the U.S. detention facility. And his case illustrates the difficulties of establishing who may have had links with al Qaeda and similar groups in the chaotic aftermath of 9/11, the strength of evidence against them, and whether they might remain or become a threat today if freed from detention.

At first, my friend Lt. Col. Barry Wingard, Fayiz’s attorney, was suspicious of his client. Then he did something very unusual when it comes to a so-called “terrorist” defendant: He changed his mind. After going through all the (very, very thin, hearsay upon hearsay) evidence Barry is convinced, and has been for some time now, that Fayiz is 100% innocent.

It’s time to finally free Fayiz.

Please read the whole CNN post here.