The Mauritanian (Guantánamo Diary)

One of Slahi’s interrogators was US Army Specialist Amy (whose real identity isn’t revealed). Slahi developed a relationship with Amy in which the two discussed religion and wrote each other poetry. When she went on a trip with her boyfriend, Slahi was distraught. He may have developed romantic feelings for this particular captor as in a trauma bond.

One of Slahi’s interrogators and torturers at Guantanamo was Big Boss (whose real identity isn’t revealed). He sometimes worked with Mr. X. Both Big Boss and Mr. X participated in Slahi’s elaborate staged kidnapping and beating, which eventually led to his false confession.

An American defense attorney, Hollander (born in 1944) is best known for her long, successful pro bono battle to free Mohamedou Ould Slahi from Guantanamo. She also represented Chelsea Manning. Hollander was raised in Texas and earned a JD degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She has worked for Freedman, Boyd, Hollander, Goldberg, Urias & Ward P.A. since 1980 and became a partner in 1983. She was married to New Left activist and sociologist Todd Gitlin, with whom she penned Uptown: Poor Whites in Chicago in 1970.

Hollander represented Slahi for 11 years until his release. She was portrayed by Jodi Foster in the film adaptation of The Mauritanian. The book mentions Hollander only briefly because she began representing the author in 2005, when he completed the manuscript. However, she was instrumental in his release.

An American human rights advocate and writer, Siems is best known as the editor of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s The Mauritanian (Guantánamo Diary) and Ahmed and The Actual True Story of Ahmed and Zarga. Siems earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Classical Greek at the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Columbia University. Siems has worked at Freedom to Write and International Programs for PEN, focusing on freedom of expression, and is Chief of Staff at Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

Throughout his career, Siems has contributed to The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Nation. He published such books as The Torture Report: What the Documents Say About America’s Post-9/11 Torture Program (2012) and Between the Lines: Letters Between Mexican and Central American Immigrants and Their Families and Friends (1995). Although Larry Siems is only briefly mentioned in The Mauritanian, he played an important role in getting the author’s books published.

One of Slahi’s interrogators at Guantanamo was Lieutenant Ronica (whose real identity isn’t revealed). She worked on a team with Samantha, and Slahi describes her as “a polite and honest” person (211).

One of Slahi’s interrogators, perhaps the worst one, Mr. X’s real identity isn’t revealed, but he was “a celebrity among the torture squad” (230). Mr. X. used different types of torture on Slahi, including throwing him onto a dirty floor, beatings, playing loud music, using color blinkers, and participating in a 24-hour interrogation. He typically replaced SSG Mary after her shifts.

One of Slahi’s interrogators at Guantanamo was Samantha (whose real identity isn’t revealed). She worked with Lieutenant Ronica on a team. Slahi disliked Samantha and calls her “an evil person” (210).

One of Slahi’s interrogators at Guantanamo was Sergeant First Class (SFC) Shally. SSG Mary worked on his team. Slahi nicknamed Shally “I-AM-THE-MAN” (212). Shally directed some of the author’s torture sessions because he “was chosen with some others to do the dirty work” (212) and repeatedly insulted Slahi’s religion.

Among Slahi’s interrogators at Guantanamo was Staff Sergeant (SSG) Mary (Her real identity isn’t revealed). Slahi believes that she was from a poor family and joined the US Army for the opportunities that it provided. She was “foul-mothed” and the first female US soldier he met (311).

Mary tortured Slahi through repeated sexual assault and humiliation. After the torture eased, however, she seemed more reasonable and honest than the other interrogators, whom Slahi describes as more hostile and deceptive. For instance, Mary helped Slahi learn English, including profanity. When Mary left the prison, Slahi was extremely distraught and cried because he’d developed a connection with this captor. This relationship fits the definition of a trauma bond.

A guard at Guantanamo (whose real name is Steve Wood), “Stretch” was so nicknamed because of his height. He treated Slahi humanely and was deeply affected by his job at the detention camp. He eventually converted to Islam, reconnected with Slahi after his release, and maintains a friendship with him. This friendship was the subject of a 2021 documentary film by The Guardian called My Brother’s Keeper: A Former Guantánamo Detainee, His Guard and Their Unlikely Friendship.

The author’s cousin and former brother-in-law, Mahfouz Ould al-Walid (Abu Hafs al-Mauritani) is an Islamic scholar and is best known for his association with al-Qaeda as one of its spiritual leaders. Born in Mauritania in 1975, Abu Hafs fought in the war between the Soviet Union and the US-backed Afghan insurgency in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, he had links to Osama bin Laden. However, he opposed the 9/11 attacks before they were carried out.

Following the US invasion of Afghanistan, Abu Hafs relocated to Iran. There, he remained under house arrest until 2012. He was extradited to his home country and was subsequently freed. The author’s relationship with his cousin, including wiring money to his family in Mauritania, is one of the key reasons the author ended up on the US intelligence radar.