A former Guantanamo detainee has condemned British suicide bomber Jamal al-Harith who blew himself up after joining Islamic State.
Shafiq Rasul, 39, was one of the so-called “Tipton Three” held at the Cuban detention centre until March 2004 – alongside terrorist Harith.
But while the trio settled back into British life, Harith fled to Syria to join IS .
There, he changed his name to Abu Zakariya al Britani and this week he was pictured before detonating a suicide car bomb in an attack on Iraqi forces near Mosul.
Rasul’s condemnation to Sunday People came as the family of Harith, 50 – born Ronald Fiddler in Manchester – said they wrongly believed he died two years ago.
Shiblee Begum, sister of his wife Shukee, said: “We did our grieving when we were told he was dead two years ago. The family want to be left alone to get on with their lives and allow the children to do the same.”
His family released a statement describing Harith as a “peaceful and gentle person” who was changed by “cruelty” he suffered at Guantanamo.
But speaking at his West Midlands home Rasul said there was “no excuse” for Harith’s actions. He said: “It is absolutely terrible what he has done. I’ve no idea what made him do it.
“Guantanamo was terrible. I have been able to move on. I don’t know why he wasn’t.”
Fellow Tipton Three members, Ruhal Ahmed and Asif Iqbal, both 35, declined to comment. The trio were captured in Afghanistan in 2001.
The US suspected them of being illegal combatants. They were repatriated in March 2004 with Harith and a fifth man.
Harith claimed he was backpacking in Pakistan in Sept-ember 2001 when he was caught by the Taliban. When the regime collapsed he and other prisoners remained at a Kandahar jail.
He was later held by US forces and taken to Guantanamo.In a statement nine months after his release Harith denied being involved in terrorism. But after a decade back in the UK the ex-web designer fled to Syria.
This week wife Shukee denied he got £1million compensation after his release, but said he got a smaller settlement and that taxpayer’s cash may have funded his trip to join Islamic State.
She told Channel 4 News his radicalisation began in 2013 in response to “atrocities committed by the regime in Syria”. In 2015 law graduate Shukee flew to Syria with her five kids to try and persuade him to return.
His brother Leon Jameson said Harith had struggled since Guantanamo. He said they last spoke two years ago, adding: “It isn’t right, but he’s done it.”
