Ibrahim al-Qosi, a native of Sudan who was a detained in Guantanamo Bay, has resurfaced in Yemen as one of Al Qaeda's top leaders, according to Long War Journal. The 55-year old Al Qaeda leader has served in the past as cook, chauffeur and bookkeeper for Osama bin Laden and appeared in the latest propaganda video release by Al Qaeda last week.
Ibrahim al-Qosi, also known as Sheikh Khubayb al Sudani, according to the New York Post, was once referred to as one of the "Dirty 30" hotly pursued by the U.S. after 9/11. Al-Quosi was captured in 2002 in Pakistan and detained until his release in 2012.
"One of the main reasons the U.S. was willing to return him to Sudan was the U.S. confidence in the government of Sudan's program and its confidence that Mr. al-Qosi would not represent any kind of threat to the United States," Al-Qosi's attorney, Paul Reichler, said in 2012. "If they had considered him a threat, they would not have released him."
A 2007 leaked Joint Task Force Guantanamo threat assessment paints a different picture. Ali-Qosi was described as a "high" risk to the U.S. and its allies by the U.S. intelligence analysts.
"Detainee is an admitted veteran jihadist with combat experience beginning in 1990 and it is assessed he would engage in hostilities against U.S. forces, if released," read the U.S. military threat assessment.
"Obviously, any report about a former GitMo detainee re-engaging in the fight would be source of significant concern, something that we would take quite seriously," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at Thursday's daily press briefing, according to FOX News. "Based on what we know so far, more than 90 percent of those transferred from Guantanamo Bay have not re-engaged in the fight. But we are certainly paying close attention, even if we find unconfirmed reports about those who may have."
