Heights, weights, and in-processing dates
On March 16, 2007, the United States Department of Defense posted eleven files detailing the heights and in-processing dates of Guantánamo prisoners (as well as the monthly variations in their weights) in the Freedom of Information pages of its website. The pages in the eleven files were Bates-numbered, consecutively, from 000001 through 001068. These files may be viewed by following the links below:
ISN 002 - ISN 057 ISN 252 - ISN 322 ISN 680 - ISN 838
ISN 058 - ISN 121 ISN 323 - ISN 494 ISN 839 - ISN 1011
ISN 122 - ISN 185 ISN 495 - ISN 575 ISN 1012 - ISN 10024
ISN 186 - ISN 251 ISN 576 - ISN 679
Although these files purported to present the information in terms of the prisoners' internment serial numbers (or ISNs), some of their pages were out of order. And some of them were even in the wrong files. CSHRA has gone over these files, placed all the pages in their intended order, and consolidated them all into a single file. You can view this file by clicking on the following link:
As it reordered the material, CSHRA discovered that the files in question failed to include any information for nine prisoners:
- MUNIR BIN NASEER (ISN 85)
- HAYDAR JABBAR HAFEZ AL TAMIMI (ISN 648)
- ABDUL KHADR (ISN 990)
- HAROON AL-AFGHANI (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
- MUHAMMAD RAHIM AL-AFGHANI (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
- 'ABD AL-HADI AL-IRAQI (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
- ABDULLAH SUDI ARALE (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
- INAYATULLAH (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
- ABDUL MALIK (UNDISCLOSED ISN)
In addition, the first page from the file of FARIS MUSLIM AL ANSARI (ISN 253) was missing.
The prisoners with undisclosed ISNs were transferred to Guantánamo after the height and weight files were released. Setting them aside leaves us with four cases in which information is missing, be it in whole or in part.
The pages missing from two of these cases led to gaps in the Bates numbering sequence of the files. They are the cases of HAYDAR JABBAR HAFEZ AL TAMIMI (for whom there is a gap between pages 747 and 749 of the files) and FARIS MUSLIM AL ANSARI (for whom a gap exists in the record between pages 399 and 401).
That leaves the cases of MUNIR BIN NASEER (ISN 85) and ABDUL KHADR (ISN 990). Not only is there no information for them; there is not even a gap in the Bates numbering system where such information would go. It is as if their information was never intended to be part of the released material.
CSHRA NOTE: In his 2009 review of these materials, Andy Worthington identified 80 Guantánamo prisoners who weighed, at some time or another, less than 112 pounds (774 individuals were imprisoned in Guantanamo in the period covered by these materials). An average healthy man weighs between 150 and 200 pounds].
Acknowledgements
CSHRA Research Affiliate Sonia Saini conducted the research for this report. Almerindo Ojeda supervised this research and drafted this report.