Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi

Review by: Robert Potter

The short
A harrowing account of one’s prisoner’s stay in Guantánamo Bay.

The long
Since 2002, Mohamedou Ould Slahi has been imprisoned in by the US in Guantánamo Bay despite never having been charged with a crime. Three years in to his imprisonment, he decided to keep a diary. This book is the culmination of that work, documenting Slahi’s story from first being arrested in Mauritania, being transferred to a prison in Jordan, and then ultimately to Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. The book is heartbreaking but at the same time the amount of hope and humor that Slahi is able to manifest in the midst of his horrendous circumstances is inspiring.

To read or not to read?
This book isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s necessary reading for anyone interested in getting a fuller picture of the US’ War on Terror and the indiscriminate tactics they used to imprison and torture hundreds of foreign national all throughout the Middle East and North Africa.