‘The day I met bin Laden’: From France to Afghanistan to detention at Guantanamo
15 May 2022 |
5:04 pm
The "Maghreb-Orient des livres" book festival takes place in Paris this weekend, focusing on literature from north Africa and the Middle East. One of those taking part is Jérémie Dres, the author of the graphic novel "The day I met bin Laden". It features the story of two young French men who travelled from France to Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, just months before the 9/11 terror attacks. The pair then found themselves trapped in Afghanistan and were later sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The author joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Related
Related
6 Aug
Thousands of pro-coup supporters take to the streets in Niger marking the 63rd anniversary of the country's independence from France, as FRANCE 24 and RFI are banned in the country. We talk to Dr Olayinka Ajala, senior politics lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, about the latest developments. Also, violence in the Sahel flares up again with the slaying of several fishermen in northern Cameroon.
5 Aug
While others play at the World Cup, the Afghanistan national team are making their way in Australia's regional leagues. Two years after they fled their country, the past still hurts while the future is uncertain.
4 Aug
Thousands of pro-coup supporters take to the streets in Niger marking the 63rd anniversary of the country's independence from France, as FRANCE 24 and RFI are banned in the country. We talk to Dr Olayinka Ajala, senior politics lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, about the latest developments. Also, violence in the Sahel flares up again with the slaying of several fishermen in northern Cameroon.
15 Aug
A man was killed in Marseille after apparently being shot by a police blast ball. The incident took place during July riots that gripped France after the police killing of a teenager at a traffic stop.
15 Aug
In August 2021, the Taliban conquered Kabul. Local Afghan employees who had assisted German forces hastily fled their homeland. Many are still waiting for help.
16 Aug
On tonight's show we bring you an exclusive interview with Niger's exiled Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou, who maintained that the situation following the July 26 coup d'état was "reversible". Massaoudou condemned the putschists' announcement on Monday that they would prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for treason, saying the junta had "no legitimacy to try anyone".
15 Aug
As global interest in the war-torn country diminishes, many Afghans feel abandoned. In the two years since the Taliban retook control they have imposed draconian restrictions on society, especially women and girls.
19 Aug
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers took over the capital Kabul on August 15, 2021. A Taliban spokesperson denied the group was anti-woman in comments to DW, while the UN has accused it of gender apartheid.
27 Aug
France issued red alert warnings for four administrative regions in the south, where temperatures are expected to shoot above 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
24 Aug
The reporter has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in March. Moscow accuses Evan Gershkovich of espionage, which he and his newspaper deny.
2 Sep
The confession of a resistance fighter who witnessed a mass execution of German soldiers during World War II has reawakened dark memories in rural France.
Latest
42 mins ago
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italy's premier Giorgia Meloni have visited a migrant center on Italy's southernmost island after a surge in the number of migrants arriving there.
42 mins ago
German police say 26 officers were among those injured after violence on the sidelines of an Eritrean event in Stuttgart. Tensions run deep within the diaspora over the eastern African nation's polarized politics.
1 day ago
Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.
1 day ago
After beginning a strike one week ago, the United Auto Workers union has increased the number of plants affected by industrial action. Until now, workers have been striking at three sites, one each for Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. UAW leader Shawn Fain says that will be increased to 38 factories, all of them GM and Stellantis parts distribution centres. Ford has been spared of further disruption, with the union saying the company has made "important concessions".
1 day ago
This week in Across Africa, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Namibian President Hage Geingob ahead of his arrival in New York for the UN General Assembly. He shares his perspective on governance, the impact of Africa's first climate change summit and the role of the African Union in responding to regional upheaval.
1 day ago
Megan Rapinoe has ended her US national team career with a 2-0 win over South Africa in Chicago. The 38-year-old ends her stint as an international with 63 goals, 73 assists and 203 caps, along with two world cups. Rapinoe made her debut for her country in 2006, with only three players having longer spells playing for the United States. "It has been such an honor to be able to wear this shirt, play with all these players and live out my childhood dream. I know that I mean a lot to the game.