A US Army Islamic chaplain who counselled al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba has been detained as part of a military investigation, officials said.
Captain James Yee, also known as Yousef Yee, according to US military records in Guantanamo, has been confined since September 10th.Unconfirmed reports suggest he is being held on suspicion of spying.
But he has not been charged with any crimes, US military spokesman said.
He said he does not know the nature of the investigation: "If charges were formally filed, then we'd be able to tell you." He didn't know if an Article 32 hearing, similar to a grand jury, had been scheduled.
Captain Yee was taken into custody at a naval station in Jacksonville, Tennessee, Capt Crosson said.
The case was first reported in yesterday's Washington Times.
A senior law enforcement official said FBI agents confiscated classified documents Capt Yee was carrying and questioned him before he was handed over to the military.
A spokesman with the FBI in Jacksonville, confirmed that agents were at the scene, but he declined to comment any further.
Capt Yee is being held at a military brig in Charleston, South Carolina, Capt Crosson said. That is the same place where officials are holding Yaser Esam Hamdi, a US-born Saudi who allegedly fought with the Taliban, and Jose Padilla, a former Chicago gang member charged with plotting to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb".
Capt Yee is a Muslim chaplain who was assigned to the base at Guantanamo Bay in November, Capt Crosson said. He served as the Islamic adviser to the Joint Taskforce Commander.
The base in eastern Cuba is overseen by the Miami-based Southern Command. It is where about 650 men from 43 countries are held, all accused of having links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network or Afghanistan's fallen Taliban regime.
A Chinese-American and 1990 West Point graduate, Captain Yee converted to Islam in college and became a chaplain after spending several years in the army.
As an Arabic speaker, he counselled the detainees, advised them on religious matters and made sure their spiritual and dietary needs were being met by US officials at the base in eastern Cuba.
AP