‘Seven Years in Guantanamo’ Co-Author discusses Interplay of Humans Rights and Terrorism

image
Created: 12 Sep, 2017
Updated: 21 Nov, 2022
1 min read

Daniel Norland joins host, T.J. O’Hara, on this week’s episode. Dan is best known locally as a history teacher at a San Diego school, and nationally as the editor of Witnesses of the Unseen: Seven Years in Guantanamo, the story of two Algerians detained for seven years at Guantanamo, who wished to tell their story to America. The two discuss the complex issue of human rights versus terrorism, and more.

Daniel Norland is a history teacher, mock trial coach, and global education coordinator at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego. While at Boston legal firm WilmerHale, Dan began conducting interviews with Lakhdar Boumediene and Mustafa Ait Idir, who wished to tell their story to America - which was published in April of this year, in Witnesses of the Unseen: Seven Years in Guantanamo.

Though not part of the litigation team for Lakhdar Boumediene and Mustafa Ait Idir, Dan Norland and his sister, Kathleen List, who speaks fluent Arabic, conducted more than 100 hours of interviews with the two men, which was shaped into Witnesses of the Unseen.

In October 2011, the two men, who were living and working in Sarajevo, were among six Algerians who wound up being arrested by Bosnian authorities and charged with plotting to blow up the American embassy in Sarajevo. They were held for three months, then released to American authorities. There was no evidence to back up the accusation. This was only the beginning of their story.

Latest articles

Title graphic for How It Really Works: Running as An Independent
LISTEN: Running for President as an Independent -- How it Really Works
Think about the leaders with bold visions you’ve wanted to vote for, the ones with the best ideas who have the potential to transform American politics. Most never stand a chance, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum....
30 Apr, 2025
-
1 min read
Cnannabis and CBD oil
Sen. Padilla Pushes, But DEA Nominee Terry Cole Won’t Commit to Cannabis Rescheduling
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30, DEA administrator nominee Terrance Cole declined to commit to the proposed federal rescheduling of cannabis, leaving a critical policy question unresolved as the process transitions to new leadership under the Trump administration....
30 Apr, 2025
-
3 min read
Nurse standing in front of a backdrop that shows a blank map of California and a blank map of Mexico.
Cross-Border Healthcare: A Complex Problem Meets a Bipartisan Solution
While healthcare in California has seen massive investments in coverage and access, these gains often mean little to border residents who split time, family, or even residency across two countries...
30 Apr, 2025
-
2 min read