Hamdi Returned to Saudi Arabia

[Khephra]

NORFOLK, Va. -- A U.S. citizen who was captured on the Afghanistan battlefield and held without charges for nearly three years has been freed and returned to Saudi Arabia on Monday, his lawyer said.

A military plane carrying Yaser Esam Hamdi landed at 6 a.m. Eastern time in Riyadh, Frank Dunham Jr. said. Hamdi's case led to a Supreme Court decision limiting the president's powers to indefinitely hold enemy combatants.

Dunham said he talked with Hamdi by telephone just after the plane landed Monday, and said Hamdi told him he felt "awesome."

Officials with the U.S. Justice Department did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment early Monday.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-enemy-combatant,0,3877478.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[struggle4progress]

1. <snip> The deal with the U.S. government freeing Hamdi required he ...

... give up his American citizenship and live in Saudi Arabia for five years. He also had to renounce terrorism and agree not to sue the United States over his imprisonment. Hamdi will never be allowed to travel to Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan or Syria. <snip>


Three years in jail, no charges ...