Guantánamo Diary

The author, a Mauritanian citizen, has been held without charge in Guantánamo since 2002.

You’ve probably heard of Guantánamo Bay, but how much do you know about the actual experiences of the prisoners detained there? One long-term prisoner is Mohamedou Ould Slahi, or MOS for short, and this is the story of how he found himself in one of the world’s most infamous detention centers.

The author was born in 1970 in Mauritania, a country in northwestern Africa. He was the ninth of 12 children born to a traveling camel trader, who passed away shortly after the family moved to the capital of Nouakchott. As a result, the author was his family’s main provider from a young age.

In 1988, he received a scholarship to the University of Duisburg in Germany, and traveled there to study electrical engineering. In 1991, he became involved with the anti-communist movement in Afghanistan and took an oath of loyalty to al-Qaeda, an organization that at the time was supported by Western nations, and the US in particular.

But things changed when the communist government collapsed and the Afghan mujahideen began to wage war against one another. At this point, the author returned to Germany and, according to his account, cut all ties with al-Qaeda.

He then completed his degree, remaining in Duisburg with his wife. But since his German visa was set to expire shortly thereafter, he applied, successfully, for a Canadian visa, relocating to Montreal in November 1999. While in Canada, he attended a Mosque previously frequented by an Algerian immigrant and al-Qaeda member by the name of Ahmed Ressam.

What’s so important about Ressam?

Ressam was arrested on December 14, 1999, by the US Border Patrol for refusing inspection and giving false information. However, his arrest uncovered something greater: his plan, known as the Millennium Plot, to bomb Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

After discovering Ressam’s plan, the police questioned the Montreal immigrant community about it – and the author in particular.