The disclosure of the decision to free Mr. Masri shed new light on the transfer of suspected Qaeda operatives around the world. Until now, it was believed that the transfers were carried out by the C.I.A. under presidential directives issued after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Ms. Rice's involvement suggests that the White House may have played a more hands-on role than was previously known. The officials who discussed the matter on Friday suggested that she had intervened as needed, but would not describe the extent to which national security officials at the White House were in charge.

Officials say it was a case of mistaken identity.

Authorities believed he was a member of Al Qaeda who had trained at one of Osama bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan. But within several months they concluded he was the victim of mistaken identity, the officials said. His name was similar to a Qaeda suspect on an international watch list of possible terrorist operatives, they said.

According to the Times, Mr. Masri, a German shoe salesman, was released in May, 2004. Maybe they confused him with Muslim Cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who coincidentally was arrested in Britain in May, 2004? The cleric was wanted in connection with the Oregon case in which James Ujaama was charged with trying to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon. Attendees of al-Masri's London mosque allegedly included Richard Reid, the "shoe-bomber" and Zacarias Moussoui.

Only al-Masri the cleric has one eye and a hook for hands. You would think someone would have noticed the difference between him and Khaled el-Masri before five months went by.

Update: In February, 2005, the German Press reported the German Government was investigating a claim of kidnapping against the U.S with respect to el-Masri. And this Cairo article spells Abu Hamza al-Masri's name as Abu Hamza el-Mazri.