The bay sits on what was once oriente province, the very heart and soul of the independence movement against the spanish empire. Guantanamo, the geneva conventions, and the war crimes act. A brief history of guantanamo bay, americas idyllic. Former president bush and the current president, barack obama have both been very vocal about their opinions on the subject.
Base in guantanamo bay, cuba, a facility that has become a symbol of abuse around the world. 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. The lease was renewed in 1934 under fulgencio batista and president franklin d. History and legal issues regarding its lease agreements pdf. Naval station guantanamo bay congressional research service 2 figure 1. Only 2 have been convicted and 1 was through a plea and cooperation deal. Jan 21, 2020 the bay itself is a 12mile long northsouth indentation and is six miles across. History of guantanamo bay jurist archives legal news. Torture in guantanamo bay mohamed alkahtani was a prisoner at guantanamo bay who endured numerous disgusting and truly horrifying acts of torture. By understanding the long imperial history that fills the black hole of guantanamo, we can see how the court decision in rasul v. In january 2002, the united states began sending prisoners to guantanamo bay. When cuba becomes independent from spain the united states of america leases guantanamo bay to establish a naval. We are cheering because the united states has finally shown itself to be a democracy, he told the new york times.
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. 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. Military commissions have a long history in the usa. Map created by bisola momoh, visual information specialist. According to jody, he said that he would have to find out what your history. The 1903 cubanamerican treaty leased to united states the. The guantanamo bay detention camp was constructed in 2002 and houses. During its long history the bases activities have at times included fleet training. They say it violates international law more specifically, the vienna convention on the law of treaties of 1969. Nearly all of them have been detained for over a decade. An oral history january 11, 2012, marks the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at the u. Guantanamo bay naval base leeward point field, also known as leeward airfield, is a u.
The lowlands on the west side are adorned in mangroves. With all the recent attention focused on detainees hunger strikes, it is important to ask where is the u. 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. 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. Download classroom worksheets pdf cubaandthecaribbean. The guantanamo bay oral history project the reminiscences of. We look back on the history of the guantanamo bay detention camp and the treatment of the people held there. Consequently, some prisoners have been detained at guantanamo bay for. A history of secret torture at guantanamo bay washington. In afghanistan, military codes and international treaties fell victim to the innovative and sometimes bizarre thinking of a small band of administra.
Windward point contains most of the activities at the naval station. In large part due to a history of medical complicity in torture, many detainees distrust military. Guantanamo and its aftermath berkeley law university of. Guantanamo bay and the annihilation of the exception european. 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 act reinforced the powers of the agencies involved in counterterrorist activities. Constructed in stages starting in 2002, the guantanamo bay detention camp was used to house muslim militants and suspected terrorists.
For information historical and current published by the u. But its also a site that reaches beyond the caribbean seaa real and imaginary littoral zone synonymous with. Founded in 1903, the naval station has been used for training and a variety of u. Follow the history of gitmo, as the base is known to the u. Guantanamo base has strategic importance to the us, officials say inside camp 6 of the detention facilities at naval station guantanamo bay, cuba.
From the collection of the guantanamo public memory project twenty years ago, michel vilsaint celebrated the first closing of guantanamo. Total number of detainees ever incarcerated at guantanamo. The guantanamo bay detention camp is a united states military prison located within. 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 bush administration and the justice department carefully prepared the legal groundwork for guantanamo bay post 911. 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. Guantanamo by the numbers center for constitutional rights. May, 2015 we look back on the history of the guantanamo bay detention camp and the treatment of the people held there. 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. The reader is asked to bear in mind that she is reading a verbatim transcript of the spoken word, rather than written prose. Guantanamo bay naval base simple english wikipedia, the. Teachers guide the torture question teacher center. 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. Located on the southeast corner of cuba, guantanamo bays strategic location.
Naval station guantanamo bay history commander, navy. Protesters in london, england demand the closure of the guantanamo bay detention centre. 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. A history of naval station guantanamo bay, cuba the origins of the u. As a solution to these modernday difficulties, a detention facility was created on the guantanamo bay naval base. Sep 09, 20 read cnn s guantanamo bay naval station fast facts and learn more about its detention facility, sometimes called gitmo. Immediately after his election as president in 2009, barack obama promised that he would close the camp within one year. Students investigate the history of japanese immigration.
In 1931, there was just one staff member, 5 students, and a single classroom located in an office of the base chapel. 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. The following oral history is the result of a recorded interview with jeremy varon conducted by ronald j. Breaking news english esl lesson plan on guantanamo bay. 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.
This article deals with the united states presence at guantanamo bay, cuba, the. The spanishamerican war ended in victory for the united states and cuba obtained independence from spain. That same month, president bush said that prisoners from the war in afghanistan would not be afforded all protections of the geneva conventions. 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. 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. Mar 20, 2016 how did washington get its hands on guantanamo bay. The guantanamo valley lies west of the bay along the sierra maestra. 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. 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. 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.
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 bay itself is a 12mile long northsouth indentation and is six miles across. One day, our dispatchboat found the shores of guantanamo bay flowing past on either side. Guantanamo base has strategic importance to the us. Jul 25, 20 in either case then, guantanamo is certainly not within the u. Guantanamo bay in cuba was first used as a camp for us troops during the 1898 spanishamerican war.
Islands, peninsulas, and coves can be found on the east side of the bay. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Instead, it is an ambiguous territory located in the gap betweena schism opened up by empire. Abu ghraib has always been a terrifying place to iraqis saddam hussein used it as his primary torture chamber but in 2004. An oral history of the guantanamo bay detention center.
Guantanamo bay to foreign countries and banning their transfer to the united states. The current government of cuba does not see this treaty as legal. 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. The united states naval base at guantanamo bay, cuba was established in 1898 when the u. This interview is part of the guantanamo bay oral history project. The icrc reports of several activities that, it said, were tantamount to torture. Seven years on, the notorious detention centre remains open.
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. 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. Barack obama described guantanamo as a sad chapter in american history. 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. Detainees transferred, repatriated or resettled under obama. 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. Revolutionary activities picked up in the 1890s and spain imposed martial.
Its flat nature makes it ideal for guantanamos airfield. 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. 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. Sep 04, 20 how guantanamo bay became the place the u. 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. Detention and trial at guantanamo bay and other us detention centres. Guantanamo bays detention facility is a heavy topic that spans across all levels of government. Guantanamo bay naval base is close to hidden beach. Guantanamo bay is a bay in the south of the island of cuba.
Guantanamo bay naval base officially known as naval station guantanamo bay or nsgb. Cuban relations, to a presidential promise, to congressional. They complete an online webquest, explore various websites, answer discussion questions, and locate and. Find guantanamo bay lesson plans and teaching resources. From the inception more than 17 years ago of the guantanamo bay detention. In 1903 the united states leased 45 square miles of land and water at guantanamo bay, from the newlyindependent cuban government, to be used for fleet sustainment by the growing us navy. They took control of it in 1903, under a treaty between the united states and cuba. Our school, at guantanamo bay naval station, cuba opened in 1931, making this the oldest still operating overseas dod dependents school in the world.
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