4 Years Gone For Being In Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

4-year Guantanamo detainee goes free - International Terrorism - MSNBC.com:

BERLIN - A German-born Turkish citizen held for more than four years at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay has returned to Germany after being released, his attorneys said Thursday.

Murat Kurnaz, 24, was flown to Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany, where he was set free, attorney Bernhard Docke said in a statement.

[...]

U.S. officials maintained that he was a member of al-Qaida, based on what they said was secret evidence. But a later review of declassified evidence in the case showed no indication he was connected to al-Qaida, the Taliban or any specific threat, his attorneys said.

What are the chances that "secret" evidence was a bunch of hooey? Probably much higher than the chance this young man was a real threat. He was scooped up in Pakistan and turned over to the U.S. in October 2001, back when Pakistan was falling all over itself trying to convince Bush and company that they were anti-terrorist and cooperating with the alliance. This kid was from Germany and a Turkish citizen, so why not throw him to the wolves?

German officials, including Merkel herself, had to put in overtime to get this guy released. How many others are in limbo for no good reason other than they looked Arabic and/or were in the wrong place at the wrong time? We may never know.