Leaked documents give details of Guantanamo interrogations

A London daily newspaper claims to have been shown thousands of pages of sensitive documents relating to a decade of interviews in which extremists admitted to plotting attacks against the West.

According to the files, which were written by officials at the controversial base in Cuba, al- Qaida terrorists have threatened to unleash a “nuclear hellstorm” if Osama bin Laden is caught or killed.

The documents detail the background to the capture of each of the 780 people who have passed through the camp, along with their medical condition and the information they have provided during interrogations.

Around 220 of those detained were assessed to be dangerous international terrorists, while around 380 are judged to be lower-level foot-soldiers.

At least a further 150 people including innocent Afghans and Pakistanis were held and assessed at the United States camp, but later released due to lack of evidence, according to the files.

The documents, which have also been seen by the Washington Post, confirm that the Americans have seized more than 100 al-Qaida terrorists – the most senior being Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the operational commander of al- Qaida accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

His file was said to disclose he was plotting attacks in Asia, Africa, America and Britain.

It concluded: “Detainee had numerous plots and plans for operations targeting the US, its allies, and its interests worldwide.

“Targeting priorities were determined by initially assessing those that would have the greatest economic impact, and secondly which would awaken people politically.”

The files are also said to disclose that a senior al-Qaida commander claimed that a nuclear bomb was hidden in Europe and would be detonated if Bin Laden were caught or killed.

Sheikh Mohammed was said to have told interrogators that the extremist group would unleash a “nuclear hellstorm”.

Interrogators were also told that al-Qaida was seeking to recruit ground staff at Heathrow to assist them in targeting the world’s busiest airport.

A plot to put cyanide in the air-conditioning units of public buildings across the US was also exposed.

Guantanamo Bay was opened by the American government in January 2002 and about 180 people are still held there.

The facility was subject to international controversy after torture-style techniques including water-boarding, stress positions and sleep deprivation were approved to be used on prisoners during the Bush administration.

A spokesman for Amnesty International UK said: “We haven’t yet been through these latest disclosures in detail but they appear to back up many of the things we’ve said about Guantanamo being a travesty of justice.

“It’s important to remember that this is far from over – there are 172 prisoners still at the camp and instead of fair trials they’re set to be put before unfair military commissions or even remain detained without any trial at all.”

He added that in the case of former UK detainees like Binyam Mohamed, it would be important that the inquiry into the UK’s alleged involvement in torture fully examined the documents.”