The public got a rare glimpse into the dark world of C.I.A. black sites on Monday as former Qaeda commander Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi described his harrowing experience during a sentencing hearing at Guantánamo Bay.
Al-Iraqi led a virtual tour of Quiet Room 4, a windowless, closet-size cell where he was held in what he called the most humiliating experience of his time in U.S. custody. He detailed being blindfolded, stripped, forcibly shaved, and photographed naked after his capture in 2006.
The 63-year-old former commander was one of the last prisoners held in the overseas black site network established by the George W. Bush administration post-9/11. Despite the Obama administration shutting down the program, its secrets are slowly emerging in national security trials at Guantánamo Bay.
During the hearing, spectators saw the stark conditions of Quiet Room 4, a 6-foot-square empty chamber where Al-Iraqi was held for three months. He addressed the military jury from a padded therapeutic chair due to a paralyzing spine disease, expressing remorse and forgiveness for his actions.
Al-Iraqi pleaded guilty to war crimes charges in 2022 and apologized for the unlawful behavior of Taliban and Qaeda forces under his command in Afghanistan. He described his time in C.I.A. custody as cruel, with details of being held in windowless cells with minimal amenities and even being fed pork, forbidden in Islam.
The imagery and testimony presented in court shed light on the brutal treatment of detainees in the black site program. The jury will decide on a 25- to 30-year sentence for Al-Iraqi, with the possibility of it being shortened by U.S. officials.
The hearing also featured victims of attacks by Al-Iraqi’s forces, who shared their grief and pain. Al-Iraqi directly addressed them, acknowledging their suffering and expressing his sorrow for their losses.
Despite his physical limitations, Al-Iraqi remains hopeful for redemption and reconciliation. His story serves as a reminder of the complex and often tragic consequences of war and terrorism.
