A Flight That Might Have Been a Homecoming

This flow traces Slahi’s imaginative efforts to find escape, safety, or rescue during the transfers that carried him farther from home.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Border Not Crossed

A Missed Alternative A Stop in Brussels During his transit through Brussels, Slahi considered staying in Belgium and seeking asylum. He imagined a future there because he spoke the language and believed he could find work. Choosing the Flight He instead continued to Dakar, where his family planned to meet him. The decision was ordinary at the time but later became an imagined fork in the road. Retrospective Meaning Slahi wrote that had he crossed the border, he might never have written the memoir. The reflection turns a small travel decision into a reminder of how chance can shape a life under political pressure.

The Plane to Mauritania

A Return Under Escort A Private Flight After Senegal released him from custody, officials flew Slahi to Mauritania rather than sending him home independently. He was uncertain whether this transfer marked freedom or another stage of detention. A View of Home From the low-flying aircraft, he saw the poor outskirts of Nouakchott and felt the urge to tell people he was innocent. He could see his country but could not speak to the people below. Arrival at the Secret Gate The flight ended not with a family welcome but with transfer into Mauritanian security custody. The homecoming became another escorted handover.

The Escape He Considered

Doors Closing Looking for a Route After learning he would be sent to Jordan, Slahi considered escaping from the security building. He examined doors, walls, and the possibility of finding a taxi, but saw obstacles at each step. A Chance Outside At the airport, he was not yet heavily restrained and might have reached the public terminal. He later wondered whether he could have made the transfer known to his family. Why He Stayed He did not escape, partly because he could not predict the consequences and had no wish to harm anyone. The decision stayed with him as he later reflected that knowledge of what would follow might have changed his choice.

Dreams on the Flight to Jordan

A Daydream of Arrest A Stop in Cyprus During the flight, Slahi hoped local police in Cyprus might search the aircraft and discover the secret transfer. He imagined being arrested there and seeking asylum. The Plane Leaves No search occurred, and the plane continued toward Jordan. His imagined rescue dissolved as the destination approached. Imagination as Shelter The daydream briefly allowed him to picture a future outside the control of his escorts. Its failure made the hidden nature of the transfer more stark.

The Boat Ride That Wasn’t a Journey

A Simulated Transfer Abduction from the Interview Slahi was violently seized from an interrogation room, beaten, and carried away in restraints. He was placed on a boat and subjected to further abuse. A Deceptive Route The ride lasted hours although the destination was only minutes away. Interrogators intended him to believe he was being moved to a distant secret prison or another country. The Same Island He was ultimately taken to a hidden isolation cell on Guantánamo. The staged journey recreated the uncertainty of rendition without changing the fact that he remained in U.S. custody.

January 2000

February 2000

November 2001

November 28–29, 2001

August 25, 2003