The Other Latif: Cuba-ish

Twenty years ago, Abdul Latif Nasser, known as detainee 244, was transferred to Guantanamo Bay as a suspected Al-Qaeda operative. Radiolab host Latif Nasser, who shares the same name, investigated Nasser's case, questioning the U.S. government's portrayal and his lawyer's claims of wrongful imprisonment. Nasser traveled to Guantanamo Bay to meet his namesake but was unsuccessful. The episode explores why the U.S. chose Guantanamo Bay, a legal gray area, to house detainees. Nasser reflects on his own past and the potential factors that could have led a fellow suburban Muslim into a different path. The episode highlights the complexities of the Guantanamo Bay situation and questions American values in the post-9/11 era.