By understanding the long imperial history that fills the black hole of guantanamo, we can see how the court decision in rasul v. A history of naval station guantanamo bay, cuba the origins of the u. Barack obama described guantanamo as a sad chapter in american history. Follow the history of gitmo, as the base is known to the u. Breaking news english esl lesson plan on guantanamo bay. Guantanamo bay naval base simple english wikipedia, the. The current government of cuba does not see this treaty as legal. Windward point contains most of the activities at the naval station. The guantanamo bay detention camp is a united states military prison located within. Guantanamo bay detainees facilities and factors for consideration if detainees were brought to the united states why gao did this study since 2002, the united states has operated military detention facilities at its naval station in guantanamo bay, cuba, to hold individuals detained during overseas counterterrorism operations. They complete an online webquest, explore various websites, answer discussion questions, and locate and. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Total number of detainees ever incarcerated at guantanamo. Christopher columbus landed at the bay on his second voyage to the americas, and it was later contested by the empires of england, france, and spain.
The bay sits on what was once oriente province, the very heart and soul of the independence movement against the spanish empire. Mar 20, 2016 how did washington get its hands on guantanamo bay. The existence of various cuba sanctions laws may also impede a closure of naval station guantanamo bay by making it difficult to give or sell any property to the government of cuba. Guantanamo bay and the annihilation of the exception european.
Base in guantanamo bay, cuba, a facility that has become a symbol of abuse around the world. Guantanamo, the geneva conventions, and the war crimes act. Its flat nature makes it ideal for guantanamos airfield. Seven years on, the notorious detention centre remains open. Abu ghraib has always been a terrifying place to iraqis saddam hussein used it as his primary torture chamber but in 2004. From the inception more than 17 years ago of the guantanamo bay detention.
In december of that year, guantanamo bay became the site of a refugee camp built to house those who sought asylum while the bush administration figured out what to do with them. Immediately after his election as president in 2009, barack obama promised that he would close the camp within one year. We are cheering because the united states has finally shown itself to be a democracy, he told the new york times. We look back on the history of the guantanamo bay detention camp and the treatment of the people held there. Guantanamo base has strategic importance to the us. Detainees transferred, repatriated or resettled under obama. Few, however, have any sense of the history of guantanamo bay, how the united states came to own a piece of cuba, and how that naval base has functioned over the past century. Since its peak of 647 prisoners in 2003, the inmate population at the guantanamo bay detention camp has shrunk to 41 as of january 2018. Former president bush and the current president, barack obama have both been very vocal about their opinions on the subject. Guantanamo bays detention facility is a heavy topic that spans across all levels of government. Nearly all of them have been detained for over a decade. A history of secret torture at guantanamo bay washington. History of guantanamo bay jurist archives legal news.
Instead, it is an ambiguous territory located in the gap betweena schism opened up by empire. Located on the southeast corner of cuba, guantanamo bay s strategic location and topographic properties have made it a valued possession of maritime powers since the 15th century. Amr 511032011 3 amnesty international 16 december 2011 the answer is that the detentions at guantanamo, and the wider policies and practices of which they have been and remain a part, continue to inflict serious damage on global respect for human rights. Montesclaros project advisor the views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the. Constructed in stages starting in 2002, the guantanamo bay detention camp often called gitmo, which is also a name for the naval base was used to house muslim militants and suspected terrorists captured by u.
Apr 24, 2011 military documents detail life at guantanamo thousands of pages of secret military reports obtained by the new york times and shared with npr put a name, a history and a face on some of the. The most powerful democracy is detaining hundreds of suspected foot soldiers of the taliban in a legal black hole at the united states naval base at guantanamo bay, where they await trial on capital charges by military tribunals. Cuban relations, to a presidential promise, to congressional. Constructed in stages starting in 2002, the guantanamo bay detention camp was used to house muslim militants and suspected terrorists.
This interview is part of the guantanamo bay oral history project. Sep 04, 20 how guantanamo bay became the place the u. Stephen irving max schwab seeks to uncover and give voice to the complete history of the installation that is largely absent from historical scholarship and political debate. The guantanamo bay detention camp was constructed in 2002 and houses. Guantanamo bay detention centre and ruled that their detention was unlaw ful. This article deals with the united states presence at guantanamo bay, cuba, the. From the collection of the guantanamo public memory project twenty years ago, michel vilsaint celebrated the first closing of guantanamo. In large part due to a history of medical complicity in torture, many detainees distrust military. Torture in guantanamo bay mohamed alkahtani was a prisoner at guantanamo bay who endured numerous disgusting and truly horrifying acts of torture. The bay itself is a 12mile long northsouth indentation and is six miles across. In afghanistan, military codes and international treaties fell victim to the innovative and sometimes bizarre thinking of a small band of administra. They say it violates international law more specifically, the vienna convention on the law of treaties of 1969.
One day, our dispatchboat found the shores of guantanamo bay flowing past on either side. The united states naval base at guantanamo bay, cuba was established in 1898 when the u. Talk in pairs or groups about afghanistan guantanamo bay justice illegal detention detainees rights the difference between a pow prisoner of war and an enemy combatant. Map created by bisola momoh, visual information specialist. Detention and trial at guantanamo bay and other us detention centres.
Guantanamo bay to foreign countries and banning their transfer to the united states. The interamerican commission on human rights iachr was the first international instance to call upon the united states to take urgent steps to respect the basic rights of the detainees. The guantanamo bay detention camp is a united states military prison located within guantanamo bay naval base, also referred to as guantanamo, gbay, gtmo, and gitmo. An oral history january 11, 2012, marks the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at the u. The guantanamo bay oral history project the reminiscences of. The bush administration and the justice department carefully prepared the legal groundwork for guantanamo bay post 911. Download classroom worksheets pdf cubaandthecaribbean. For information historical and current published by the u. Jul 25, 20 in either case then, guantanamo is certainly not within the u. Protesters in london, england demand the closure of the guantanamo bay detention centre.
Guantanamo bay, cuba, the report provides new insights into the lingering consequences of unjust detention and the corrupted processes developed in the desperate months following 911. Find guantanamo bay lesson plans and teaching resources. Guantanamo bay naval base is close to hidden beach. Revolutionary activities picked up in the 1890s and spain imposed martial.
The lease was renewed in 1934 under fulgencio batista and president franklin d. In january 2002, the united states began sending prisoners to guantanamo bay. This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of presentday guantanamo bay, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included presentday guantanamo bay. Guantanamo bay naval base officially known as naval station guantanamo bay or nsgb. The 1903 cubanamerican treaty leased to united states the. Military documents detail life at guantanamo thousands of pages of secret military reports obtained by the new york times and shared with npr put a name, a history and a face on some of the. We encourage you to subscribe either to our digital or print edition, or both, and invite you to consider making a donation to the spectator in. Consequently, some prisoners have been detained at guantanamo bay for. Founded in 1903, the naval station has been used for training and a variety of u. Jan 21, 2020 the bay itself is a 12mile long northsouth indentation and is six miles across.
Military commissions have a long history in the usa. Guantanamo bay naval base leeward point field, also known as leeward airfield, is a u. President obama had pledged to close the prison, saying that this potent symbol of war on terrorera human rights abuses is not who we are as a country. Located on the southeast corner of cuba, guantanamo bays strategic location. Being seduced by prostitutes and female officers, told to act like a dog and forced to crawl on his hands and feet while barking, and forced to urinate himself are just a few examples of the type of. Naval station guantanamo bay history commander, navy. Only 2 have been convicted and 1 was through a plea and cooperation deal. Guantanamo base has strategic importance to the us, officials say inside camp 6 of the detention facilities at naval station guantanamo bay, cuba. Teachers guide the torture question teacher center. But its also a site that reaches beyond the caribbean seaa real and imaginary littoral zone synonymous with. Sep 09, 20 read cnn s guantanamo bay naval station fast facts and learn more about its detention facility, sometimes called gitmo. An oral history of the guantanamo bay detention center. From the bay of pigs to the cuban missile crisis 19591962 cover contents cover title page unit introduction for teachers california historysocial science standards covered notes on the pdf key terms bibliography student worksheets list of images acknowledgments back cover please see notes on the pdf, page 6. The guantanamo valley lies west of the bay along the sierra maestra.
Report on torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of prisoners at guantanamo bay, cuba 1 preface the center for constitutional rights ccr is a nonprofit legal and educational organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights guaranteed by the u. The spanishamerican war ended in victory for the united states and cuba obtained independence from spain. Naval station guantanamo bay congressional research service 2 figure 1. A brief history of guantanamo bay, americas idyllic. Our school, at guantanamo bay naval station, cuba opened in 1931, making this the oldest still operating overseas dod dependents school in the world. A brief history of guantanamo bay, americas idyllic prison camp. Bop referred to this entire category of inmates as inmates with a history of or nexus connection to.
In 1931, there was just one staff member, 5 students, and a single classroom located in an office of the base chapel. Students investigate the history of japanese immigration. Islands, peninsulas, and coves can be found on the east side of the bay. That same month, president bush said that prisoners from the war in afghanistan would not be afforded all protections of the geneva conventions. They took control of it in 1903, under a treaty between the united states and cuba.
With all the recent attention focused on detainees hunger strikes, it is important to ask where is the u. During its long history the bases activities have at times included fleet training. Since 1974, the nonprofit, readersupported washington spectator has offered independentminded readers behindthescenes insight into significant news stories that are underreported or ignored by the corporate media. The following oral history is the result of a recorded interview with jeremy varon conducted by ronald j. The crisis of medical care at guantanamo physicians for human. The act reinforced the powers of the agencies involved in counterterrorist activities. The icrc reports of several activities that, it said, were tantamount to torture. The lowlands on the west side are adorned in mangroves. May, 2015 we look back on the history of the guantanamo bay detention camp and the treatment of the people held there. Guantanamo by the numbers center for constitutional rights. Guantanamo and its aftermath human rights center university of california, berkeley international human rights law clinic university of california, berkeley, school of law in partnership with center for constitutional rights u. When cuba becomes independent from spain the united states of america leases guantanamo bay to establish a naval. Guantanamo and its aftermath berkeley law university of. Guantanamo bay is a bay in the south of the island of cuba.
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