Charleston, S.C.
Yaser Hamdi, an American-born Saudi held as an enemy combatant since being captured in Afghanistan in November 2001, was released from a naval brig this week and allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that if the U.S. wanted to detain Hamdi any longer, it would have to allow him to petition for a trial. Instead, the Justice Department said Hamdi was no longer a threat. In return for his freedom, Hamdi renounced his American citizenship and agreed to stay out of the U.S. for 10 years, and to never visit Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, or Syria. Hamdi also renounced “terrorism and violent jihad,” and pledged to notify Saudi officials if he became aware of any terrorist plans.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Retribution: Trump calls for prosecution of criticsFeature Trump targets former officials who spoke out against him, sending a warning to future whistleblowers
-
Why does the U.S. need China's rare earth metals?Today's Big Question Beijing has a 'near monopoly' on tech's raw materials
-
When did divorce begin?The Explaine Couples have always split up, but the institution has undergone major changes over the years
