Mohammad Nabi Omari: short biography of one of the five Taliban

ALIAS: Mohammed Nabi, Maulawi Mohammed Nabi

Date of birth: January 1, 1968 Metakhan village, Khowst Province, Afghanistan

Citizenship: Afghanistan,

Risk level: HIGH, likely poses a threat to the US, its interests and allies

Intelligence value: HIGH

Rank / Position: Border Security, senior Taliban official in “multiple functions”

Education: Naryab Madrassa Kahi Madrassa, Zargary and Kohat madrasas in Kohat, Pakistan

Imprisoned: October 28, 2002

Released: May 31, 2014

Connections

• Taliban Senior Commander

• Haqqani Network Leadership

• Anti-Coalition Militia

• Al Qaeda

• Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin

Crimes

• Missiles smuggled into Pakistan with two al Qaeda members

• Member of the al-Qaeda / Taliban cell in Khwost and was involved in attacks against Coalition Forces and the United States.

• Maintained weapon caches

• Smuggled fighters and weapons

Story

After 6 years of schooling, Omari went to Naryab Madrassa in Kohat, Pakistan, for religious training. He continued his studies at Kahi Madrassa. In the late 1980s, Omari fought alongside the Mujahideen against the Soviets. After the withdrawal of the Soviets, Omari continued his studies in Pakistan at the Zargary and Kohat Madrasahs in Kohat. Around 1992, Omari and her family returned to Afghanistan.

1992-1994 Omari served as a policeman in Khwost but quit his job to farm on the family farm. When the Taliban took control in 1996, Omari began working for them. Omari claims that his tribe pushed him to take the job to avoid being labeled “the opposition.” His position was Chief of Security in Qalat.

After a year in that position, he returned to his farm for three years. In 2000, he returned to seek employment with the Taliban as a radio operator. After a year, he went to the border patrol. His focus was on controlling smuggling. In 2002 he left again and started selling used cars. In the spring of the same year, Omari began working with the CIA.

On September 14, 2002, Omari was arrested at the old Khowst airport. Omari claims that he was lured there by a messenger who told him that the CIA contact wanted to meet with him.

He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on October 28, 2002. The United States hoped to obtain information on border patrol procedures, Taliban communication equipment and procedures, and biographical data on Taliban members. Between October 2002 and January 2008, Omari had 37 reports of disciplinary infractions, including participation in mass riots, threats, attempted suicide and possession of drugs. In March 2007, he was cited for throwing a cup of feces in the guard’s face.

Despite the fact that his General Staff and the Intelligence Community advised against the agreement, on May 31, 2014, President Obama exchanged Omari, along with four other Taliban detainees, for an American prisoner of war, Bowe Bergdahl. The Emir of Qatar has been recognized for his efforts to secure this agreement between the United States and the Taliban. Omari, along with the other four, will be under Qatari control for at least a year, with a ban on leaving the country. Many in the United States fear that while in Qatar, these terrorists will assist the extremists by providing strategic planning and will return to field operations after their year-long detention.

Captured terrorists have been repeatedly shown to have a high recidivism rate when released. Therefore, logic would dictate that these five top Taliban leaders will return to their terrorism. The difference is that they have had a long time to learn about America from prison and a long time to conspire. Only time will tell how much we will pay for this decision.