Khalden training camp

The Khalden training camp (also transliterated as khaldan) was a military training camp in Afghanistan that is alleged to have been run by al Qaeda. According to the documentary Son of al Qaeda there were hundreds of military training camps in Afghanistan which were tied to al Qaeda. But the Khalden camp, and a handful of others, were actually run directly by al Qaeda. Having attended one of these camps has triggered suspicion on many of the detainees in the "war on terror".

The Khalden training camp was lead by Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, who was captured in late 2001.

In the allegations presented to Mohammed Abd Al Al Qadir's Administrative Review Board American officials asserted that: "Khalden Camp's basic military training program was an accelerated version of that given at al Faruq."

Abu Zubaydah's description of Khalden

On March 27 2007 Abu Zubaydah offered a long description of the history of the Khalden camp, which was read into the record:

  • According to Abu Zubaydah, the Khalden camp dated back to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
  • According to Abu Zubaydah, the Khalden camp was not affiliated with al Qaeda, and only provided training in "defensive jihad", how to resist invaders. It provided training only in how to defend against legitimate military targets. It did not provide training in attacking civilians.
  • Abu Zubaydah offered four examples of "defensive jihad" battlegrounds, where Muslim lands were under invasion or occupation by non-Muslims:
    • The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
    • The Serbian occupation of Bosnia.
    • The Russian occupation of Chechnya
    • The Israeli occupation of Palestine.
  • Abu Zubaydah said the role he played, from 1994 to 2000 was to run guest houses in Peshawar and Islamabad, where potential trainees were housed. Potential trainees room and board was covered, until he formed an assessment as to whether they should be forwarded to the camp for training. He said he did not send fanatics -- "takfiri" to the camp.
  • Abu Zubaydah asserted that he never actually traveled to the camp himself.

Individuals alleged to have attended the Khalden training camp

Abdullah Khadr
  • Says he only attended two weeks, when he was 13 years old

Abdurahman Khadr
  • Attended as a child

Ahmed Ajaj
  • participated in 1993 WTC bombing

Ahmed Ressam
  • LAX "millennium bomber"

Feroz Abbasi
  • released in the UK

Gouled Hassan Dourad{{cite press release

title = Biographies of High Value [...] Detainees Transferred to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay

Ibrahim Elgabrowny
  • participated in 1993 WTC bombing

Mahmoud Abouhalima
  • participated in 1993 WTC bombing

Majed Moqed
  • 911 hijacker

Mohamed Rashid al-Owhali
  • attended in 1997
  • participated in the bombings of US embassies in Africa

Mohammed Atta
  • 911 hijacker

Mohamed Moumou
  • Swedish citizen, described as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's representative in Europe for issues related to chemical and biological weapons

Mushabib al-Hamlan
  • Friend of the 911 hijackers.
  • Trained with 911 hijackers.

Omar al-Faruq
  • trained in the early 1990s
  • a southeast asian lieutenant

Rafiq Bin Bashir Bin Jalud Al Hami
  • currently detained in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp

Ramzi Yousef
  • participated in 1993 WTC bombing

Richard Reid
  • shoe bomber

Saajid Badat
  • tried to be a shoe bomber

Satam al-Suqami
  • 911 hijacker

Zacarias Moussaoui
  • one of the "20th hijackers"

Mohammed Abd Al Al Qadir
  • Accused in his Administrative Review Board.
  • Al Qadir denies ties to al Qaeda, and denies attending the training camp.

Khalid Sulaymanjaydh Al Habayshi
  • Accused in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Noor Uthman Muhammaed
  • One of the allegations again Noor Uthman Muhammaed was: ''"The Detainee was trained in mountain warfare and weapons training on the Kalishnikov , PK machine gun, 75 and 82 mm heavy artillery, SPG-9 anti-tank weapon, 82 mm mortar, Zukair anti-aircraft weapon, and the RPG launcher at Khalden Camp."

Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri
  • One of the allegations against Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri was: ''"The detainee received military training at the Derunta camp in Jalalabad, Afghanistan and Khaldan camp near Khowst Afghanistan."

Abdullah Ali Al Utaybi
  • One of the allegations against Abdullah Ali Al Utaybi was: ''"Detainee may have trained at the al Qaida Khaldan Camp ."

Ridah Bin Saleh Al Yazidi
  • One of the factors favoring Ridah Bin Saleh Al Yazidi's continued detention was: ''"The detainee said he was provided with a letter of introduction for admission to the Khalden Training Camp. The detainee traveled to Afghanistan using a forged passport. The detainee traveled to Khost, Afghanistan via Switzerland, Islamabad, Pakistan and Jalalabad, Afghanistan."

Hisham Sliti
  • One of the allegations against Hisham Sliti was: ''"The detainee received training on the use of light arms at the Khaldan Camp near the Khowst Province , and the Derunta Camp in Jalalabad."

Ahmed Hassan Jamil Suleyman
  • One of the factors favoring Ahmed Hassan Jamil Suleyman's continued detention was: ''"The detainee was at Khalden Camp between May 1994 and 1999."

Riyad Bil Mohammed Tahir Nasseri
  • One of the allegations against Riyad Bil Mohamme Tahir Nasseri was: ''"The detainee received military training at the Derunta camp in Jalalabad, Afghanistan and Khaldan camp near Khowst Afghanistan."

Abdul Bin Mohammed Bin Abess Ourgy
  • One of the factors considered for his continued detention was: ''"Detainee denies that he trained at the Khalden training camp."

Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi
  • One of the factors favoring the continued detention of Umar Abdullah Al Kunduzi was: ''"The detainee and others were led out of the Tora Bora region by the leader of the Khalden training camp, who has been linked to Usama Bin Laden, Abu Zubaydah and several other major al Qaida leaders."

Omar Nasiri
  • Omar Nasiri is the pen-name of the author of:
    • ISBN 978-1-85065-861-0 "Inside the Global Jihad: How I Infiltrated Al Qaeda and Was Abandoned by Western Intelligence"
    • ISBN 978-0-465-02388-2 "Inside the Jihad: My Life With Al Qaeda, a Spy's Story"

Idris Ahmed Abdu Qader Idris
  • One of the allegations against Idris Ahmed Abdu Qader Idris was: ''"The detainee ###############, voluntarily traveled from Italy to Afghanistan in May 1999 to attend the Khaldan training camp."

Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser
  • Two of the factors favoring Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser's continued detention were:
    • ''"The detainee's immediate commander was Turab al Najdi."
    • ''"Abu Turab Al Najdi attended the Khaldan training camp in Afghanistan, and worked with the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines."

Lufti Bin Ali
  • One of the factors favoring Lufti Bin Ali's continued detention was: ''"The detainee was identified by a senior al Qaida lieutenant as having studied at the Khaldan camp in 1998 or 1999."

Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari
  • One of the allegations against Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari was: ''"The detainee later traveled into Afghanistan and received wapons training at the Khaldan training camp. Usama Bin Laden personally provided religious instruction and trainee at this camp."
  • One of the factors favoring Faiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari's continued detention was: ''"The detainee traveled to the Khalden training camp in Afghanistan where he received weapons training on the Kalashnikov, Dusaka (AKA Docka), Grinov, BKC automatic rifles, and RPG’s, and anti-aircraft guns. Usama Bin Laden provided religious instruction and gave advice and encouragement to the Jihadists."

Adil Charkaoui
  • Alleged to have attended the "Khaldun training camp" in 1998.
  • Currently held in Canada, without charge, on a "Minister's Security Certificate".

Raouf Hannachi
  • Made the travel arrangements for Ahmed Ressam, the "millennium bomber", to receive training at the "Khaldun training camp".
  • Alleged to have received military training in Afghanistan himself.

Abd al Malik Abd al Wahab
  • One of the allegations against Abd al Malik Abd al Wahab was: ''"The detainee attended the Khalden Camp, in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 1995 where he received weapons, explosive, artillery, and machinegun training."

See Also

Al Farouq training camp

The Al Farouq training camp was an alleged Al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar Afghanistan.