Guantánamo Diary

By: Mohamedou Ould Slahi

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

An unprecedented international publishing event: the first and only diary written by a still-imprisoned Guantánamo detainee.

Since 2002, Mohamedou Slahi has been imprisoned at the detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In all these years, the United States has never charged him with a crime. A federal judge ordered his release in March 2010, but the U.S. government fought that decision, and there is no sign that the United States plans to let him go.

Three years into his captivity Slahi began a diary, recounting his life before he disappeared into U.S. custody, "his endless world tour" of imprisonment and interrogation, and his daily life as a Guantánamo prisoner. His diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir - terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. Published now for the first time, Guantánamo Diary is a document of immense historical importance and a riveting and profoundly revealing listen.

©2015 Mohamedou Ould Slahi (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Mr. Slahi's detention for more than [fourteen] years without charge or trial embodies the most egregious abuses of Guantanamo." (ACLU)

"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)

Sobering story

This is an amazing tale of one man's journey. It was impossible for me to disbelieve this story, and I believe it is one all Americans should read. We tend to believe that whatever America does is right and moral because we are Americans, and this story should give us pause.

Great book. If you want to know!!!!

This book for the people who want to know what the government is hiding in Guantánamo.

Redacted!!!

A very interesting book and a must read but after 621 times listening to the comment “redacted”, I couldn’t take it anymore because it became so incredibly annoying. I think they should have given permission to listening to all the names, places, numbers of this inhuman institution.

Yep

No one wants to “see how the sausage is made”. Sad, sad story. I wish peace to MOS.

emotionally disturbing but eye opening

makes one appreciate the role of law and a need to prevent extreme mentality in our society

great book

A very good listen that never stood still for too long and yet is filled with relevant and little known information that I could follow. I can't wait to listen to it again.

Absolutely amazing!

This books is amazing! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys eye opening stories.. It's dark humor is a comedic relief.

Eye opener

This is an excellent recount of what happened after 9/11 and how mistakes were made. What I loved about this book is how the author showed how harsh circumstances can bring the best and worst of each nation. I’m glad that the story had a happy ending. I urge readers to watch the film “the Mauritanian”

Couldn’t finish

Was so depressing. The only luck this guy could get was bad luck. Awful situation.

INNOCENT OR GUILTY

It is impossible to know whether Mohamedou Ould Slahi is innocent or guilty of collaborating with Islamic terrorists from the evidence reported in his book, “Guantánamo Diary”. One may argue that Slahi is simply lying about what happened to him, and has written a book to defame America. The “Guantánamo Diary” is a bore to listen to or read. However, there is ample evidence, exclusive of the “Guantánamo Diary”, that confirms the truth of Slahi’s rendition and torture at the direction of the American government. It is worth getting past boredom because it is a story that threatens America’s way of life.

“Guantánamo Diary” is an indictment of a more virulent form of American McCarthyism. Just as Joseph McCarthy became the poster boy for ferreting communists out of government, Donald Rumsfeld became the face of terrorist’ incarceration and torture.

As horrid as deaths from terrorism are, a nation of 319 million people lives relatively free; despite one, one thousand, or one million terrorists who commit domestic and/or international massacres. If Americans wishes to remain free, it is better to let one terrorist free than let an innocent, or unproven-accused, be crucified. As noted by George Orwell, lack of freedom leads to injustice and totalitarianism.

As of June 2015, Slahi remains imprisoned at Gitmo. He has finally been remanded to a district court for further fact-finding. Slahi is either guilty or innocent, but depriving him of 15 years of freedom is an Orwellian crime.