“People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down,” he said. “I take it as an honour to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.”

He later apologised. Mr Slahi, who was released after being held for 14 years without charge and now lives in his native Mauritania, said he continued to suffer hearing problems caused by his experience at Guantanamo Bay.

“This is so twisted on many levels,” he told The Miami Herald. “Because music is supposed to make you happy and make you a better person, sometimes.”

Col Lisa Garcia, a US Southern Command spokeswoman, told the Miami Herald she did not believe the Navy's entertainment branch was aware of the group's history and significance in Guantanamo.