Saba Imtiaz

Guantanamo: The Shepherd

January 5, 2018 Saba Imtiaz

This description of an Afghan shepherd detained at Guantanamo was in the leaked detainee files in 2011.

Detainee did not receive any military or extremist training. Detainee and his family are nomadic and follow opportunities to find the best grazing grounds. Detainee was harvesting grain for seven days and was away from his home that entire time. He returned from harvesting grain and went to visit his neighbor for some tea before going home. Shortly after this, he was captured.

During an interview at JTF-GTMO on 13 June 2004, the interpreter stated the detainee, "uses tribal dialect and appears to be very uneducated." Detainee went on to explain in detail how he shepherded. Explaining that he had 300 goats, five sheep, eight camels and two baby camels and how he migrated to other various areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan for grazing purposes. He also explained how he and his brothers shared and lived in tents as they moved. (Analyst note: This detainee's knowledge of herding animals, which he readily talks about, and his inability to discuss simple military and political concepts, tend to support the detainee's contention that he indeed is just a simple shepherd.)

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