It's a hard but necessary book to read. Contains descriptions of numerous forms of physical, sexual, emotional and psychological torture. Finishing it after having been reading it for so long kind of has me at a loss for words beyond why.

A hard book to review. I can't say that it is especially well-written or even judge whether it contains any truth. But it certainly is hugely important. The mere fact that MOS has been held for so long without charges is disgraceful. Without his day in court, this memoir is all we have to go by and ought to be an opportunity for Americans to reflect on what all is being done in their names.

Before reviewing this book, it is important to look at the charges against Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He was nowhere near the United States on September 11, but he had the intent/misfortune of attending radical mosques from which both the Millenium Bomber and several 9/11 terrorists emerged. Slahi, in this book, insists that his experience with Al Qaeda was limited to his time fighting in Afghanistan, but he is open about his association with a known Al Qaeda operative, Abu Hafs, at a wedding prior to his indefinite detentions, first in Mauritania, then in Jordan, and finally in America's notorious concentration camp, Gitmo.

This book doesn't read as a defense of Slahi, though. He mentions his faith but makes no reference to associates or religious motivation outside of prayer, Muslim practice and the Quran.

Instead, this is an indictment of the United States and the Cult of 9/11 that emerged after that horrible day and sanctioned torture and indefinite imprisonment for terror re-treads like Slahi (who had undergone pretty rigorous interrogations in connection with the Millennium Plot, and was basically picked up and re-interrogated following 9/11, despite having returned home and seemingly lived a normal life in Mauritania.

The lowlights of Slahi's experience go as follows:
1. The role of female interrogators--and the sexual molestation they performed on Slahi--is a stain that will take years for America to overcome. The design of this torture was perverse. These torturers and their pimps should be indicted for war crimes. Their actions put American women in the armed forces--or female captives of terrorist groups like ISIS--at great risk for the same treatment. Just horrible.

2. A month deprived of any light or sound, is a ridiculous means of disorientation and a violation of human rights. Slahi's interrogators wear masks--whether they are beating him or merely asking questions. There are terrible crimes committed, even three years into his interrogation, when any intelligence he might have is outdated or useless.

3. When Slahi does "break," he gives his interrogators what they want to know, not what they actually can use. No doubt a hand full of innocent men were also imprisoned--perhaps tortured, too--by Slahi's false testimony.

4. I love my country, but being put into a room where the "Star-Spangled Banner" is blasted for hours and being made to look at pictures of President George W. Bush just makes a mockery of the United States of America.

Americans need to read Guantanamo Diary so we can begin to close this monstrosity down and begin atoning for the numerous sins that America committed in the name of 9/11.

Review to come!

read this for a class on political imprisonment and wow…
i never knew the full extent of the brutality and violence at guantanamo bay until now

Really good writing for someone who learned english in GTMO. Soooo interresting yet terrifying that this sort of treatment exists. This book made me so mad at the world but I enjoyed learning about all this stuff we don't hear quite enough of.