Guantanamo Bay:
Why President Obama Cannot Shut it Down.
Guantanamo Bay, also, known as GITMO, is a United States naval station, that was leased out in an agreement by the US and Cuban government in 1903. It was originally a naval station that was intended for coaling and mining. However, fast forward to, 2002, GITMO became an established controversial detention camp, where international terrorists are held. The Bush administration initially offered three explanations for their decision to establish the prison camp; to detain extraordinarily dangerous prisoners, to interrogate prisoners in an optimal setting, and to prosecute prisoners for war crimes. Current operations inside Guantanamo, including the facility is operated by the Joint Task Force of Guantanamo. The detainment areas consist of three camps;Camp Delta, Camp Iguana, and Camp X-Ray. Both Camp Iguana and Camp X-Ray have been recently closed down in the recent years. Camp Delta, consists of seven individual camps, where each detainee is placed based upon their level of cooperation and security risk. When detainees cooperate they can be rewarded by being placed in a different camp that offers more amenities. For instance, Camp Four provides a shower and lavatory, plus communal living rooms, as well as, each detainee has a bed and locker. However, Camp Five is a disciplinary block where cells are too small, toilets inadequate with squat-style toilets, lights are too bright, and the air is foul. “It is a black hole where supposedly no laws apply.” Is a quote by a former detainee, that I feel helps illustrate how controversial the issue is at GITMO and its detainees there. This prison is based in a prime location, it sits 110 miles off the coast away from the American border. Prison policies will not fall under American Laws, and it keeps terrorists off of American soil, which helps ease the minds of American citizens. In a way, its more like out of sight, out of mind, for the American people. It wasn’t until 2002 through 2004 that the Supreme Court finally held jurisdiction over rights of the detainees. Some very interesting key facts concerning the detainees held at Guantanamo Bay since September 11, 2001, help bring to light the issues involving GITMO detainees. 779 is the total number of detainees held at GITMO, while 600 have been released without any formal charges, 164 detainees are still remain in GITMO. A very striking, possibly disturbing fact to others, is that 15 children have been detained and interrogated at GITMO, all of whom have been under the age of 18. There have been nine detainees who have died while in custody and six of those detainees were suspected of suicide. Since February 2013, 104 detainees have voluntarily remained on a hunger strike. There is much that remains unknown about the overall care and lifestyle the detainees have experienced while imprisoned at GITMO. Much controversy began stirring after 779 secret documents were published online by WikiLeaks and several independent news organizations. The documents released consisted of classified assessments, interviews, internal memos, and NOFORN. NOFORN means that information is not to be shared with representatives of other countries. But when the media gained access first through
