POV

The Oath

Filmed in Yemen and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "The Oath" interweaves the stories of Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden's former bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, a prisoner at Guantanamo facing war crimes charges. Directed by Laura Poitras, "The Oath" unfolds via a narrative rife with plot reversals and betrayals that ultimately leads to Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Oath: Salim Imprisoned

1m 56s

Prisoner Salim Hamdan is shown on grainy video footage from a jail cell in Afghanistan in November 2001. Seventeen months later, Hamdan is imprisoned in Guantánamo and writes a letter to his brother-in-law.

Previews + Extras

  • The Oath: Salim's Case Progresses: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Oath: Salim's Case Progresses

    S23 E13 - 3m 17s

    The pre-trial phase of terrorist suspect Salim Hamdan's military tribunal begins at Guantanamo. Hamdan's military lawyer, Brian Mizer, talks to the press about Hamdan's defense and his case.

  • The Oath: Salim's Sentence: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Oath: Salim's Sentence

    S23 E13 - 1m 58s

    A military jury sentences terrorist suspect Salim Hamdan to time served, plus five months. This is a more lenient sentence than most observers expected. Hamdan's defense attorneys talk about his case at a press conference.

  • Behind the Lens - The Oath: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Behind the Lens - The Oath

    S23 E13 - 22m 30s

    Filmmaker Laura Poitras talks about making "The Oath" in Yemen and Guantanamo, what drew her to work in the midst of Al Qaeda operatives, what she thinks of Abu Jandal, the slippery and complex character at the heart of her film and more.

  • The Oath Trailer: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Oath Trailer

    S23 E13 - 2m 12s

    "The Oath" interweaves the stories of Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden's former bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, a prisoner at Guantanamo facing war crimes charges. Directed by Laura Poitras, "The Oath" unfolds via a narrative rife with plot twists and betrayals that ultimately leads to 9/11, Guantanamo and the Supreme Court.

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