If you want to know how low the USA has fallen since 9/11 , rather than pretending that the USA is still some kind of moral leader in the world, this book will make it clear –assuming you have any sense of moral decency at all.
The best thing about this book is the author himself, who manages to have the fortitude and character to have risen above all the torture, terror, and misery he was put through by the USA in the name of "the War on Terror". Unlike those who authorized and executed his brutal abuse, he harbors no ill will toward anyone.
That is a miracle.
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Guantánamo Diary Paperback – December 1, 2015
by
Mohamedou Ould Slahi
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Larry Siems
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Mohamedou Ould Slahi
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Print length432 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherBack Bay Books
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Publication dateDecember 1, 2015
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Dimensions5.5 x 1.25 x 8.38 inches
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ISBN-100316389250
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ISBN-13978-0316389259
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A longtime captive has written the most profound and disturbing account yet of what it's like to be collateral damage in the war against terror."―Mark Danner, NYTBR, & Editors' Choice
"Slahi is a fluent, engaging and at times eloquent writer, even in his fourth language, English....Slahi's book offers a first-person account of the experience of torture. For that reason alone, the book is necessary reading for those seeking to understand the dangers that Guantánamo's continued existence poses to Americans in the world."―Deborah Pearlstein, Washington Post
"A riveting new book has emerged from one of the most contentious places in the world, and the U.S. government doesn't want you to read it....You don't have to be convinced of Slahi's innocence to be appalled by the incidents he describes."―Kevin Canfield, San Francisco Chronicle
"Guantánamo Diary will leave you shell-shocked."―Vanity Fair
"Slahi emerges from the pages of his diary...as a curious and generous personality, observant, witty and devout, but by no means fanatical....Guantánamo Diary forces us to consider why the United States has set aside the cherished idea that a timely trial is the best way to determine who deserves to be in prison.―Scott Shane, New York Times
"An historical watershed and a literary triumph....The diary is as close as most of us will ever get to understanding the living hell this man--who has never been charged with a crime, and whom a judge ordered released in 2010--continues to suffer."―Elias Isquith, Salon
"Everyone should read Guantánamo Diary....Just by virtue of having been written inside Guantánamo, Slahi's book would be a triumph of humanity over chaos. But Guantánamo Diary turns out to be especially human. Slahi doesn't just humanize himself; he also humanizes his guards and interrogators. That's not to say that he excuses them. Just the opposite: he presents them as complex individuals who know kindness from cruelty and right from wrong."―Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker
"The tragedy of Slahi's memoir is not just his grave abuse at the hands of U.S. officials. It is that....Slahi's account of life--if it can be called that--at Guantánamo is not the exception. It is the rule, and it continues today."―Alka Pradhan, Reuters
"Guantánamo Diary stands as perhaps the most human depiction of an entire post-9/11 system."―Omar El Akkad, Globe and Mail
"Literary history was made today with the publication of the first-ever book by a still-imprisoned Guantánamo detainee....As astonishing as the scope of the abuse is Slahi's enduring warmth, even for his torturers and jailers."―Noa Yachot, Huffington Post
"A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka: perpetual torture prescribed by the mad doctors of Washington."―John le Carré
"This is an incredible document, and a hell of a story."―Steve Kroft, correspondent for 60 Minutes
"Anyone who reads Guantanamo Diary---and every American with a shred of conscience should do so, now---will be ashamed and appalled. Mohamedou Ould Slahi's demand for simple justice should be our call to action. Because what's at stake in this case is not just the fate of one man who managed, against all odds, to tell his story, but the future of our democracy."―Glenn Greenwald, No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State
"Here, finally, is the disturbing and stirring story the United States government tried for years to conceal. Mohamedou Ould Slahi's ordeal shocks the conscience, to be sure. But on display in these pages is something much deeper as well: an enduring faith in our common humanity, and in the power of truth to leap prison walls and bridge divides. With devastating clarity and considerable wit, Guantánamo Diary reminds us why we call certain things human rights."―Anthony Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union
"Once considered such a high-value detainee that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld designated him for 'special interrogation techniques'....Slahi had been subjected to sleep deprivation, exposed to extremes of heat and cold, moved around the base blindfolded, and at one point taken into the bay on a boat and threatened with death....Slahi faces no criminal charges."―Carol Rosenberg, Miami Herald
"Slahi is a fluent, engaging and at times eloquent writer, even in his fourth language, English....Slahi's book offers a first-person account of the experience of torture. For that reason alone, the book is necessary reading for those seeking to understand the dangers that Guantánamo's continued existence poses to Americans in the world."―Deborah Pearlstein, Washington Post
"A riveting new book has emerged from one of the most contentious places in the world, and the U.S. government doesn't want you to read it....You don't have to be convinced of Slahi's innocence to be appalled by the incidents he describes."―Kevin Canfield, San Francisco Chronicle
"Guantánamo Diary will leave you shell-shocked."―Vanity Fair
"Slahi emerges from the pages of his diary...as a curious and generous personality, observant, witty and devout, but by no means fanatical....Guantánamo Diary forces us to consider why the United States has set aside the cherished idea that a timely trial is the best way to determine who deserves to be in prison.―Scott Shane, New York Times
"An historical watershed and a literary triumph....The diary is as close as most of us will ever get to understanding the living hell this man--who has never been charged with a crime, and whom a judge ordered released in 2010--continues to suffer."―Elias Isquith, Salon
"Everyone should read Guantánamo Diary....Just by virtue of having been written inside Guantánamo, Slahi's book would be a triumph of humanity over chaos. But Guantánamo Diary turns out to be especially human. Slahi doesn't just humanize himself; he also humanizes his guards and interrogators. That's not to say that he excuses them. Just the opposite: he presents them as complex individuals who know kindness from cruelty and right from wrong."―Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker
"The tragedy of Slahi's memoir is not just his grave abuse at the hands of U.S. officials. It is that....Slahi's account of life--if it can be called that--at Guantánamo is not the exception. It is the rule, and it continues today."―Alka Pradhan, Reuters
"Guantánamo Diary stands as perhaps the most human depiction of an entire post-9/11 system."―Omar El Akkad, Globe and Mail
"Literary history was made today with the publication of the first-ever book by a still-imprisoned Guantánamo detainee....As astonishing as the scope of the abuse is Slahi's enduring warmth, even for his torturers and jailers."―Noa Yachot, Huffington Post
"A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka: perpetual torture prescribed by the mad doctors of Washington."―John le Carré
"This is an incredible document, and a hell of a story."―Steve Kroft, correspondent for 60 Minutes
"Anyone who reads Guantanamo Diary---and every American with a shred of conscience should do so, now---will be ashamed and appalled. Mohamedou Ould Slahi's demand for simple justice should be our call to action. Because what's at stake in this case is not just the fate of one man who managed, against all odds, to tell his story, but the future of our democracy."―Glenn Greenwald, No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State
"Here, finally, is the disturbing and stirring story the United States government tried for years to conceal. Mohamedou Ould Slahi's ordeal shocks the conscience, to be sure. But on display in these pages is something much deeper as well: an enduring faith in our common humanity, and in the power of truth to leap prison walls and bridge divides. With devastating clarity and considerable wit, Guantánamo Diary reminds us why we call certain things human rights."―Anthony Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union
"Once considered such a high-value detainee that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld designated him for 'special interrogation techniques'....Slahi had been subjected to sleep deprivation, exposed to extremes of heat and cold, moved around the base blindfolded, and at one point taken into the bay on a boat and threatened with death....Slahi faces no criminal charges."―Carol Rosenberg, Miami Herald
About the Author
Mohamedou Slahi was born in a small town in Mauritania in 1970. He won a scholarship to attend college in Germany and worked there for several years as an engineer. He returned to Mauritania in 2000. The following year, at the behest of the United States, he was detained by Mauritanian authorities and rendered to a prison in Jordan.
Later he was rendered again, first to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, and finally, on August 5, 2002, to the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he was subjected to severe torture. He was cleared and released on October 16th of 2016 and repatriated to his native country of Mauritania. No charges were filed against him during or after this ordeal.
Larry Siems is a writer and human rights activist and for many years directed the Freedom to Write program at PEN American Center. He is the author, most recently, of The Torture Report: What the Documents Say About America's Post-9/11 Torture Program. He lives in New York.
Later he was rendered again, first to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, and finally, on August 5, 2002, to the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he was subjected to severe torture. He was cleared and released on October 16th of 2016 and repatriated to his native country of Mauritania. No charges were filed against him during or after this ordeal.
Larry Siems is a writer and human rights activist and for many years directed the Freedom to Write program at PEN American Center. He is the author, most recently, of The Torture Report: What the Documents Say About America's Post-9/11 Torture Program. He lives in New York.
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Product details
- Publisher : Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (December 1, 2015)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 432 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316389250
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316389259
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.38 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#162,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #104 in United States Judicial Branch
- #182 in Human Rights Law (Books)
- #183 in Political Freedom (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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4.5 out of 5
795 global ratings
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Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2018
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58 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
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I reflected on this book in law school. As I read Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507 (2004), I wonder how many people ever think about a person's right to due process.
13 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018
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Whatever your political views may be, you should check out this account of this man's experience to understand the power and reach of governments when faced with terrorism and suspects who have ties to people who have committed or plotted acts of terror. The whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing does not apply to these individuals--you should read this to follow the course of what a suspected terrorist (whether guilty or innocent) goes through.
21 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2019
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I ordered the redacted edition years ago. I have removed it and re-purchased the "Restored Edition" and downloaded it to my various Kindle devices. In each case I only get the original redacted edition, with no explanation or apparent remedy. I wish there were a way to bring this issue to Amazon's attention without rating the Diary itself, which reveals an extraordinary Godly man who follows the teachings of the Prophets Muhammad (can recite the Koran from memory) and Jesus Christ and, like our fellow semites of Israel, does not claim to know that Jesus is any more divine than you or I or Muhammad.
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2015
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It is hard to give this story less than 5 stars despite the ridiculous US government redactions. (Yes, this is the government in the land of the free and brave! Pfft....) If you follow the footnotes, you get a clear picture of the blackouts, but it takes more time.....Foremost, I can find no words to describe my disgust with the depraved and nefarious US military culture in the Guantanamo prison. It nauseates me and makes me profoundly ashamed of MY country and I am mad as hell!....Slahi is a an intelligent and likable young man. He had the fortitude to tell his story with humor and honesty, and I hate what our military has done to him and others like him. I also hate the fact that our taxes are wasted in this endless repulsive and poisonous game of trying to pin anything on prisoners when there is no proof of any crime at all. How can we be this sick? How can we hold people captive for years and years without any proof of wrong doing while torturing (and it is horrendous and unspeakable torture) them into creating some glorious made up confession to stop the agony and destruction of the bodies and mind. How do we respect our government when the almighty great men in suits allow this to happen? We are so eager to point out finger of blame at other countries for their failure to protect human rights, but WE are just as corrupt as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc. I am looking forward to the day when I can read this book without redactions. Bravo to the author and all who helped him to get this book published! My eyes are open now and I thank you.
33 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2017
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If you are interested in what can happen to a "good Muslim" caught up in the web of US war against terrorism in its early excesses, this is the account you want to read. Mr. Slahi's story is gripping, His description of the various methods of torture he endured is enough to cause spasms in your own back and abdomen as you read. I came away feeling that there has be much hidden from the public regarding the inhumane treatment those incarcerated in the years following 9/11. The only down side to this "diary" is the extreme amount of redaction found throughout the text. If you happened to catch the 60 Minutes piece several weeks ago, this text really fills out the story. Amazing that this gentle man does not direct intense hatred toward the American people in general.
11 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
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Read the book or watch the movie and imagine your son or brother in these circumstances. It makes me ashamed.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2015
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Hands down, the best thing I've read in a long time.
This read is extraordinary. It's supremely infuriating and beyond embarrassing to have to say "this is my government doing this."
Horrific account of Slahi's heart-wrenching life after being kidnapped by men who are power-hungry and devoid of any ethics whatsoever; the Bush Administration consumed almost a third of Slahi's life by throwing him into a dungeon of hell - literally.
Be prepared to lose sleep over deep concern, for both for Slahi and our own state of humanity.
After reading the book and researching the validity of his claim of innocence via the links provided by the Editor and other sources, I personally believe this man is precisely who and what he says he is. Sadly enough, the atmosphere of vengeance among the government officials when he was kidnapped prevents anyone, with the power to do something to help him, from bothering.
This read is extraordinary. It's supremely infuriating and beyond embarrassing to have to say "this is my government doing this."
Horrific account of Slahi's heart-wrenching life after being kidnapped by men who are power-hungry and devoid of any ethics whatsoever; the Bush Administration consumed almost a third of Slahi's life by throwing him into a dungeon of hell - literally.
Be prepared to lose sleep over deep concern, for both for Slahi and our own state of humanity.
After reading the book and researching the validity of his claim of innocence via the links provided by the Editor and other sources, I personally believe this man is precisely who and what he says he is. Sadly enough, the atmosphere of vengeance among the government officials when he was kidnapped prevents anyone, with the power to do something to help him, from bothering.
26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
conjunction
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2021Verified Purchase
This is a very remarkable book. Unlike many of the reviews on this Amazon page, my review is of the fully restored version first published in 2017.
Slahi is a very remarkable man, and if you believe him, which I do, (partly because his testimony is believable and partly because relentless interrogation over many years failed to produce any evidence whatsoever contradicting him), his book reveals a man of great strength and a wonderful spirit of forgiveness, although he is also very sparky and stands up for himself but always with humour and a shrewd understanding of the situation he is in, which given the way he was treated is almost beyond belief.
It’s a great story but for me the most interesting thing, for me as a person who has tended to avoid reading about Guantanamo because frankly it is an unpleasant subject, the most interesting thing is what it reveals about the political background in various Arab countries who have slavishly gone along with the Americans, acting as their jailers and torturers, and also within the USA – the way the different military and intelligence agencies relate with each other and also the American government and justice system.
It is also interesting that Slahi thought the Jordanians, although callous, did a much better job as interrogators than the Americans, because they arrived at a judgment about Slahi quickly and easily.
Throughout the book Slahi remains vitally interested in his captors and torturers as people and remains open to them. It is this which makes their characters come alive, through Slahi’s compassion for them.
Slahi is a very remarkable man, and if you believe him, which I do, (partly because his testimony is believable and partly because relentless interrogation over many years failed to produce any evidence whatsoever contradicting him), his book reveals a man of great strength and a wonderful spirit of forgiveness, although he is also very sparky and stands up for himself but always with humour and a shrewd understanding of the situation he is in, which given the way he was treated is almost beyond belief.
It’s a great story but for me the most interesting thing, for me as a person who has tended to avoid reading about Guantanamo because frankly it is an unpleasant subject, the most interesting thing is what it reveals about the political background in various Arab countries who have slavishly gone along with the Americans, acting as their jailers and torturers, and also within the USA – the way the different military and intelligence agencies relate with each other and also the American government and justice system.
It is also interesting that Slahi thought the Jordanians, although callous, did a much better job as interrogators than the Americans, because they arrived at a judgment about Slahi quickly and easily.
Throughout the book Slahi remains vitally interested in his captors and torturers as people and remains open to them. It is this which makes their characters come alive, through Slahi’s compassion for them.
34 people found this helpful
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Tamam
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very special book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2021Verified Purchase
I came to read this book because I saw the trailer for the movie and it reminded me of someone so sharply that I cried, and when I looked for the movie I felt I should begin with the real story. This book has been a wonderful companion for the first week in Ramadan, unsurprisingly considering every word was conceived by a man isolated by the world imagining himself reaching out to every soul he could as an individual. I have learned as much about Islam, Mauritania, Arabs, forgiveness and humanity in general as about Guantánamo. One of my first thoughts was to hope that the person the movie trailer reminded me of so very sharply managed to read this book in 2015 simply because they would love it. Today I recommended it to another very dear friend who is trying to improve their understanding of forgiveness - but mostly I recommended it because they will love it too.
Thank you Mohamedou ould salahi - and if I could ask a small personal favour please DO NOT EVER stop writing.
Thank you Mohamedou ould salahi - and if I could ask a small personal favour please DO NOT EVER stop writing.
10 people found this helpful
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Londoner123
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2021Verified Purchase
This is a great book. I was inspired to read it following the film. It is engaging and frustrating at the same time. It gives an insight into how he ended up and no doubt many others in Gitmo just because he knew them or mixed in same circle. Its also interesting to read how the red cross were not given access to him on the reason being he was an extremely dangerous terrorist. None of which they found any evidence of.
Loved how he couldn't stop feeling emotions for his guards despite them having been involved in his torture and degrading treatment.
Loved how he couldn't stop feeling emotions for his guards despite them having been involved in his torture and degrading treatment.
7 people found this helpful
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Caoimhin58
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book & film combo of the past 10 years....imo
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2021Verified Purchase
Seen the movie and now read the book. Both are amazing and make the viewer and reader think about what is & has been done in the name of their country!! Such a phenomenally brave man who is a 21st century hero!!
3 people found this helpful
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AC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be compulsory reading - how, because of your ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2018Verified Purchase
Should be compulsory reading - how, because of your past associations you can be judged guilty until you are proved innocent and how the US will use any means to get a conviction they want.
14 people found this helpful
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