(CN) - A federal judge in Washington, D.C., refused to consider releasing a Guantanamo detainee who served as a driver for al-Qaida. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth found that Abdal Razak Ali, 39, was not a member of al-Qaida or the Taliban, but met with Osama bin Laden several times and transported new recruits to the Khaldan training camp in Afghanistan from 1994 to 2000.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Razak helped Taliban fighters escape to Pakistan and then traveled to terrorist safe houses, helping al-Qaida fighters make chemical weapons, learn English and develop computer skills in order to prepare for "'martyrdom operations,'" the ruling states."Serving as a driver is sufficient to demonstrate that an individual is functionally part of the enemy forces," Lamberth wrote, adding that Razak was "functionally part of the enemy forces and was known in their network."
Lamberth found Razak guilty of aiding "enemy armed forces," and ruled that he could remain in Guantanamo.
The ruling redacted Razak's country of citizenship and his name throughout, but stated that he was captured in Pakistan in March 2002 and named him as "Said Bin Brahim Bin Umran Bakhouche."
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