THE family of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee reportedly killed in an Islamic State suicide bomb attack in Iraq have denied he received £1 million compensation from the UK Government.
Jamal al-Harith, from Manchester, was identified by family members from a photograph issued by IS showing him at the wheel of a truck packed with explosives, which he was said to have driven into a military base near Mosul.
The disclosure that the 50-year-old – previously known as Ronald Fiddler before converting to Islam – had received a substantial compensation payment from the UK Government after ministers lobbied to secure his release from Guantanamo Bay in 2004 sparked a furious political blame game.
However, a statement on behalf of the family said they believed the claimed figure of £1m was wide of the mark and referred to a group settlement made to four former detainees, including al-Harith, and included their costs.
They blamed his treatment at Guantanamo Bay, where he was held by the Americans, for his subsequent involvement with IS.
The statement said: “The Jamal they knew up until 2001 when he was taken to Guantanamo Bay would not have become involved with a despicable organisation such as so-called IS. He was a peaceful and gentle person.
“Whatever he may or may not have done since then they believe he was utterly changed by the physical and mental cruelty and the inhuman treatment he endured for two years at Guantanamo.”
Al-Harith fell into the hands of the Americans after being picked up by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.
He was among a group of British detainees released from Guantanamo Bay in 2004 following lobbying by ministers from Tony Blair’s Labour government.
In 2010 David Cameron’s coalition government settled a civil case brought by al-Harith and other former detainees alleging ill treatment by MI6 while they were being held by the Americans.
In 2014, 10 years after his release, al-Harith reportedly left the UK to join IS in Syria. His second wife, Shukee Begum, went to find him but was unable to persuade him to return home.
Mr Blair reacted angrily to criticism of his government’s decision to secure the release of the detainees, saying that at the time they had been attacked for not doing more to help them.
David Blunkett, who was home secretary at the time, said the government had reacted “responsibly” in securing the detainees’ release, saying they been “under surveillance” on their return to the UK. Ken Clarke, who was justice secretary in 2010, said the government was forced to settle the civil action for national security reasons.
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