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The Guantanamo Files
The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America's Illegal Prison

Synopsis:

-- The first book to tell the story of every man trapped in Guantanamo -- 'An important book. If you care about our Government's complicity in these illegal and horrific acts then this book provides the evidence.' Ken Loach "Extraordinary rendition, false imprisonment, inhumane treatment - including torture and death in secretive detention sites - has forever destroyed the lives of hundreds of men, of whom I was one. This book is the first of its kind to collate accounts from the prisoners themselves." Moazzam Begg, former Guantanamo detainee and spokesman for CagePrisoners "Guantanamo Bay is a legal black hole...This book is the closest many of the prisoners will come to a fair trial. Andy Worthington [uses] the US government's own documents to prove that innocent people were swept up in the post-9/11 panic. This is important work, impressively written." Clive Stafford Smith, Legal Director of Reprieve, and author of Bad Men: Guantanamo Bay and the Secret Prisons "Stunning...[Worthington] undermines claims that the prison camp is filled with vicious killers and terrorists." Marc Falkoff, lawyer for 17 Yemeni prisoners and editor of Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak "A meticulous [book] about torture at the beginning of the twenty-first century. [Written with] poignancy, compassion and outrage." Marty Fisher, Co-Producer of the film, 'Taxi to the Dark Side' "[This book is] an important tool for coming to grips with how we as a nation allowed indefinite detention without charge, extraordinary rendition and torture to become national policies." Candace Gorman, lawyer for two Guantanamo prisoners In 2006, four years after the illegal prison in Guantanamo Bay first opened, the Pentagon finally released the names of the 773 men held there, as well as 7,000 pages of transcripts from tribunals assessing their status as 'enemy combatants'. Andy Worthington is the only person to have analysed every page of these transcripts. Drawing on these documents, as well as news reports and interviews with lawyers and released detainees, this book reveals, for the first time, the stories of all those imprisoned in Guantanamo. This book does not make for easy reading. Deprived of the safeguards of the Geneva Conventions, and, for the most part, sold to the Americans by their allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the detainees have struggled for five years to have their stories heard. Looking in detail at the circumstances of their capture, and at the coercive interrogations and unsubstantiated allegations that have been used to justify their detention, 'The Guantanamo Files' reveals that the majority of those captured were either Taliban foot soldiers or humanitarian aid workers, religious teachers and economic migrants, who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The book also uncovers stories of torture in Afghanistan and Guantanamo, and contains new information about the process of 'extraordinary rendition' that underpins the US administration's 'war on terror'. Who will speak for the 773 men who have been held in Guantanamo? This passionate and brilliantly detailed book brings their stories to the world for the first time.

Reviews:

'An important book. If you care about our Government's complicity in these illegal and horrific acts then this book provides the evidence.' Ken Loach"Extraordinary rendition, false imprisonment, inhumane treatment - including torture and death in secretive detention sites - has forever destroyed the lives of hundreds of men, of whom I was one. This book is the first of its kind to collate accounts from the prisoners themselves."Moazzam Begg, former Guantanamo detainee and spokesman for CagePrisoners"Guantanamo Bay is a legal black hole. ... This book is the closest many of the prisoners will come to a fair trial. Andy Worthington [uses] the US government's own documents to prove that innocent people were swept up in the post-9/11 panic. This is important work, impressively written." Clive Stafford Smith, Legal Director of Reprieve, and author of Bad Men: Guantanamo Bay and the Secret Prisons"Stunning. ... [Worthington] undermines claims that the prison camp is filled with vicious killers and terrorists."Marc Falkoff, lawyer for 17 Yemeni prisoners and editor of Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak"A meticulous [book] about torture at the beginning of the twenty-first century. [Written with] poignancy, compassion and outrage."Marty Fisher, Co-Producer of the film, 'Taxi to the Dark Side' "[This book is] an important tool for coming to grips with how we as a nation allowed indefinite detention without charge, extraordinary rendition and torture to become national policies."Candace Gorman, lawyer for two Guantanamo prisoners

Author Biography:

Andy Worthington is a freelance historian. He is the author of two books on modern British social history, and his work has also appeared in the Guardian and the Idler.

Table of Contents:

Introduction1.'operation Enduring Freedom'2.the Qala-i-janghi Massacre3.the Convoy of Death4.tora Bora5.escape to Pakistan, 'osama's Bodyguards'6.escape to Pakistan, Saudis and Yemenis7.flight to Pakistan, The Diaspora8.kandahar9.from Sheberghan to Kandahar10.others Captured in Afghanistan11.guantanamo Opens12.house Raids and Other Arrests in Pakistan13.the Capture of Abu Zubaydah and its Aftermath14.bagram15.torture, Abuse and False Confessions in Guantanamo16.'extraordinary Rendition,' 'ghost' Prisoners and Secret Prisons17.losing The war in Afghanistan18.challenging The Law19.suicides, Hunger Strikes, Medical Malpractice and The Abuse of The Koran20.endgame? Notes Index

Additional Information:

Illustrations: 1 map Related subjects: Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp Detention of persons - Cuba - Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Prisoners of war - Legal status, laws, etc - Cuba - Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Political prisoners - Government policy - Cuba - Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Political oppression & persecution