Former Gitmo Detainee cannot sue after jailbreak, court finds...

In the category of weird events of the terror wars, we have this one pop up on the mornings headlines. It seems we released a detainee from Gitmo to Libya and then worked hard to jigger their justice system into a conviction against the guy. Jobs Americans won't do, I suppose.. (rolls eyes)

Anyway, said detainee decided he didn't much care for being released to something as close to a predetermined trial outcome as could be arranged, and decided to sue the United States over it. There is one minor problem...as you'll see.

After being captured in Afghanistan in December 2001, Rimi arrived with the first batch of detainees in January 2002. He was released four years later to Libya. His transfer mooted his then-pending lawsuit challenging his "enemy combatant" designation; the lawsuit was dismissed shortly after the government provided an update to a federal judge.

On appeal, Rimi argued that the United States was responsible for the "collateral consequences" of his detention - that the Libyan government tried, convicted and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

Rimi claimed to have found proof of his allegations two years ago, after WikiLeaks published diplomatic cables that referred to an "MOU," or memorandum of understanding, between U.S. and Libyan officials regarding his detention.

Source

Setting aside the likely nature of his life, times and actions for a moment, I'll say he probably had a decent point on strictly legal terms, too. It is a little cheesy to celebrate releasing people from Gitmo to secretly smile as those opening the gate know it's to a fate already decided but handled in a more public relations friendly sort of way.

Oh...that little problem?

A year before "Cablegate," Rimi says, revolutionaries freed him while storming the Abu Salim prison in Tripoli.

So, based on the fact he isn't incarcerated anymore anyway, he lost his attempt to pursue more on it.

*** By the way, for anyone out there catching up with mental math.... 2002 capture. 4 years at Gitmo to a release into Libyan custody. That makes it 2006 or so.

That makes President Muammar al-Gaddafi the man we released the prisoner to and were dealing with behind the scenes. Interesting side note to the whole thing, isn't it?