US Naval Base Guantanamo Bay

U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) is located on the south-eastern coast of Cuba. In 1903 the USA leased 45 square miles of land keeping in the same condition until present. Fidel Castro claims back the terrain.

In the past, GTMO fulfilled a strategic function to dominate Central America. The missile crises represented the peak of the Cold War, when Russia intended to place strategic missiles on Cuba and was prevented by the USA. Therefore, GTMO served as a spearhead of the US in the enemy's country. The frontier zone around the US base became the largest minefield in the world. Although, Clinton decided to remove proscribed landmines the frontier between the US base and Cuba remains highly protected and strictly observed. Assigned to the South Command, GTMO is used today in the drug war fought by the USA to establish military supremacy in Central America.

Nowadays, Cuban refugees are sent back to Cuba but during the nineties, hundred of thousands Haitian and Cuban refugees passed through GTMO.

On January 11. 2002 the United States brought their first Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in the name of their "war against terrorism" to GTMO. The prisoners of war are kept exterritorial on Cuba to prevent access to the American Court of Justice. Security patrols and interrogation of prisoners were given to a Joint Task Force called JTF-GTMO.

At first, the prisoners were brought temporarilly to the camp X-Ray. The soldiers standing sentinel were placed in the tent camp Freedom Heights. On April 29, 2002 Camp X-Ray was closed.

The prisoners were moved from the makeshift camp to the newly built Camp Delta on the ancient Radio Range. The soldiers standing sentinel obtained new accommodation facilities in Camp Alpha. For juvenile detainees aged between 13 to 15 years Camp Iguana was put up. At present, Camp Delta holds over 800 prison cells and keeps up to 660 prisoners from over 20 countries among which a good many are Pakistani, Afghani, Yemeni, Jordanien, Saudi. Guarded and interrogated by over 2000 military personnel.




The camps in GTMO were named counterclockwise from the south after the military alphabet. Camp Alpha being the first and the last being camp X-Ray in the north which was vacated on April 29, 2002. Most housing estates, camps and bunkers are situated in the more protected regions towards the north and Guantanamo Bay. Where a ferry boat connects with the airfield of Leeward Point, an other spit of land.

Camp Alpha and Camp Buckley are located on the seaside between Kittery Beach and Windmill Beach. They joined forces expanding to a camp of 2000 soldiers. The prison Camp Delta was built on the former Radio Range with Camp Iguana connected as waterfront outpost.

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