Following closely in the wake of Michael Winterbottom’s film The Road to Guantanamo comes Moazzam Begg’s autobiography Enemy Combatant, which provides yet another shocking account of life in the infamous Cuban detainment camp. No doubt in the years to come there will be a growing proliferation of such testimonies, each offering their own catalogue of criticism against the political leaders which cast them into a “black hole of detention”, as the English court of appeal put it in a judgment on a November 2002 case that went far in highlighting the plight of the Guantanamo detainees. Yet, whilst Begg’s narrative does indeed contain savage criticism of the Bush and Blair administrations, it is his surprisingly generous attitude toward some of his captors and his sense of humour which resonates.

In a world of polarities, where the media and politicians alike are quick to demonise either side of the ‘War on Terror’, Begg’s measured response is a breath of fresh air, humanising where all humanity had been stripped away. The penetrating description of his treatment in the camp is punctuated with anecdotal tales and poetry written while in isolation - hope persisting on the very threshold of despair.

Whatever your politcal standpoint, Enemy Combatant is a compelling tale of survival, told in a detailed and unpretentious manner, which for some will no doubt prove an uncomfortable read.

£18.99
Free Press

Related posts:

• Abduction, torture, interrogation: My Journey to Guantanamo
• Archbishop attacks Guantanamo Bay following UN human rights report
• It’s better late than never for Guantanamo
• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Prophet cartoon causes Muslim outrage and fatalities worldwide