Saudi Arabia's terrorist rehab actually 'secret radicalisation programme,' Guantanamo prisoner claims
'This is in a cause of a king. This is not a true jihad'

Saudi Arabia's terrorist rehabilitation centre is actually a "hidden radicalisation programme," an accused al-Qaeda bomb-maker detained at Guantanamo Bay has claimed.
Saudi prisoner Ghassan Abdullah al-Sharbi told a Gitmo parole board: “You guys want to send me back to Saudi Arabia because you believe there is a de-radicalisation programme on the surface, true.
"You are 100 per cent right, there is a strong de-radicalisation programme, but make no mistake, underneath there is a hidden radicalisation programme."
Al-Sharbi made the comments to the Periodic Review Board, which assesses whether Guantanamo prisoners can be released, in June, according to recently declassified documents.
Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantánamo Bay
Show all 6The Prince Mohammed Bin Naif Counselling and Care Centre in Riyadh aims to de-radicalise jihadists through a 12-step programme, which is said to help them reintegrate with society.
Activities include art therapy and sports, and detainees have access to psychologists and religious scholars who teach religion with a focus on rejecting violence, the Wall Street Journal reports.
However, al-Sharbi has claimed the centre is actually a front to train jihadists to "fight under their cloak - under the royal Saudi cloak, under the religious establishment cloak".
He added: "They want it all like whenever they choose the time, they choose the location, and as a Muslim I see that no, this is not in the cuase of Allah.
"This is in a cause of a king. This is not a true jihad."
Later, he claims: "They [Saudi Arabia] are poking their nose here and here and there and they're recruiting more jihadists.
"They'll tell you 'okay, go fight in Yemen. Go fight in Syria,' and I will have no choice."
Al-Sharbi is one of 61 terror suspects still being held in Guantanamo Bay.
Loading....
During the conversation, al-Sharbi appears to be struggling with illness. He tells the board he had just come from the detainee hospital, is "really exhausted, and nauseous and lethargic," and uses what is described as a "manual breathing device".
He also claimed an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family was part of an effort to recruit him for extremist acts before the September 11 attacks.
He said a religious figure in Saudi Arabia used the term "your highness" during a telephone conversation with a man, just before urging al-Sharbi to return to the US and take part in a plot against the US that would involve learning to fly a plane.
The September 11 commission found there was no evidence to indicate the Saudi government as an institution or Saudi senior officials individually had supported the attacks, and the kingdom's government has consistently denied it had any role in the plot.
In July, the review board declined to approve al-Sharbi's release from Guantanamo.
The Independent has contacted the Saudi embassy in London for comment.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Comments
Share your thoughts and debate the big issues
About The Independent commenting
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.
Delete Comment
Report Comment
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.