Taliban commander who gave taunting victory speech from Kabul palace was released from Guantanamo Bay after claiming he was a 'simple shopkeeper' who 'helped Americans' and wanted to return to Afghanistan to care for his sick father

A Taliban 'commander' who goaded the US in a victory speech from inside the presidential palace in Kabul was released from Guantanamo Bay after promising authorities he was returning to Afghanistan to care for his sick father.



The bearded fanatic was among a group of gun-toting fighters who staged a celebratory press conference Sunday just hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled his country amid chaotic scenes.
Experts identified him as Gholam Ruhani, a former Gitmo detainee who was accused by US officials of being a longtime security agent for the Taliban's feared Ministry of Intelligence with close family ties to its senior figures.
Ruhani revealed to Al Jazeera on Sunday that he was incarcerated for seven years at the Cuban-based military lockup which was established nearly two decades ago to cage the world's most dangerous terrorists.
State Department documents confirm that Ruhani – detainee number 3 - was one of the very first prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but record that he spent five years there, from 2002 to 2007. (...)