When Did Guantanamo Bay Undergo Renovations?

The U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been a site of intense debate for two decades, raising questions about national security, human rights, and justice. On the 20th anniversary of the first detainees arriving there, UN experts condemned the facility as a site due to its uncertain legal status. The US military court and prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been open for 22 years, with the last prisoners admitted in 2002.

The debate over what to do with the last prisoners continues, with most remaining inmates facing the possibility of being transferred to other facilities. The U.S. military spent $690,000 to build a headquarters for the Joint Detention Group, which was completed in April 2009. The prison faces new construction a decade after the closure of Middle East Eye.

The peak of building on Guantanamo Bay was reached in 1944, coinciding with the end of World War II. The U.S. military turned its focus from the base to the military, spending at least $500 million on improvements to the naval station and constructing a new secret courtroom. Construction on the naval station began immediately after signing the 1903 lease with Cuba.

The prison at Guantanamo Bay was created in order to house suspected terrorists captured during the US-led war in Cuba. The U.S. military court and prison in Guantanamo Bay continue to uphold a legacy of torture, indefinite detention, and the costs of unlawful transfers, secret detention, and the ongoing debate surrounding the facility.

Who is in Gitmo right now?

As of December 2023, 30 detainees are currently held at Guantanamo Bay, with some in law-of-war detention. They are recommended for transfer if security conditions are met, and their names are Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, Ramzi Mohammed Abdullah bin al-Shibh Abu Ubaydah, Walid Muhammad Salih bin Mubarak bin Attash Khaldad, Abdul al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed Abdu al-Nashiri, and Abu Bilal al-Makki.

Is anyone still at Guantanamo Bay?

As of December 2023, 30 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The list of prisoners is incomplete and compiled from various sources. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has made intermittent efforts to redact the names of detainees. In 2006, the DoD released a list with 558 names in a fax or other scanned image, which was published by the Associated Press. The Washington Post maintains a list of prisoners known or suspected to have been held in Guantánamo Bay.

On March 3, 2006, the DoD partially complied with a court order to release the names of the remaining Guantánamo detainees. The DoD initially released only 317 names, but later released a list with 558 names. The list provided the detainee’s ID number, name, and home country. However, several hundred prisoners who had been released prior to the commencement of the Combatant Status Review Tribunals were not released.

On May 15, 2006, the DOD released a complete list of all 759 former and current inmates who had been held in military custody in the detainment camps after a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) action was filed by the Associated Press. In 2013, the Miami Herald published a list of 48 prisoners designated for indefinite detainment using the FOIA. On May 31, 2014, the Obama Administration was reported to have swapped five prisoners in return for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl who was captured after deserting his post.

Are there still prisoners at Guantanamo Bay?

As of December 2023, 30 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The list of prisoners is incomplete and compiled from various sources. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has made intermittent efforts to redact the names of detainees. In 2006, the DoD released a list with 558 names in a fax or other scanned image, which was published by the Associated Press. The Washington Post maintains a list of prisoners known or suspected to have been held in Guantánamo Bay.

On March 3, 2006, the DoD partially complied with a court order to release the names of the remaining Guantánamo detainees. The DoD initially released only 317 names, but later released a list with 558 names. The list provided the detainee’s ID number, name, and home country. However, several hundred prisoners who had been released prior to the commencement of the Combatant Status Review Tribunals were not released.

On May 15, 2006, the DOD released a complete list of all 759 former and current inmates who had been held in military custody in the detainment camps after a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) action was filed by the Associated Press. In 2013, the Miami Herald published a list of 48 prisoners designated for indefinite detainment using the FOIA. On May 31, 2014, the Obama Administration was reported to have swapped five prisoners in return for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl who was captured after deserting his post.

Who is currently in Guantánamo Bay?

As of December 2023, 30 detainees are currently held at Guantanamo Bay, primarily in law-of-war detention. The detainees are currently being held in Saudi Arabia, including Abdul al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed Abdu al-Nashiri, a national of Saudi Arabia, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, a national of Pakistan. The detainees are eligible for transfer if the requisite security conditions are met.

Has anyone escaped Guantanamo Bay?

The incidents in question occurred prior to the establishment of the 2002 prison facility. Subsequent to that date, there have been no further instances of escape.

Has anyone successfully escaped Guantanamo Bay?

Prior to the establishment of the 2002 prison facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, there were instances of individuals escaping from the premises. However, there have been no documented instances of such occurrences since the prison’s inception.

What happened to 29 sailors and marines on June 27, 1958?

On June 27, 1958, Cuban rebel forces, led by Raul Castro, abducted 29 sailors and marines returning from a period of leave outside the base gates at Guantanamo Bay. The captives were held hostage in the hills until their release.

How many prisoners died in Guantanamo Bay?

The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a United States military prison located on the coast of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, established in 2002 by President George W. Bush to hold terrorism suspects and “illegal enemy combatants” during the Global War on Terrorism. As of August 2024, at least 780 persons from 48 countries have been detained at the camp, with 740 transferred elsewhere, 9 died in custody, and 30 remaining. Only 16 detainees have ever been charged by the U. S. with criminal offenses.

After the September 11 attacks, the U. S. declared its “war on terror” effort and led a multinational military operation against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to dismantle Al-Qaeda and capture its leader, Osama bin Laden. In November 2001, President Bush issued a military order allowing for the indefinite detention of foreign nationals without charge and preventing them from legally challenging their detention. The U. S. Department of Justice claimed that habeas corpus, a legal recourse against unlawful detention, did not apply to Guantanamo Bay because it was outside U. S. territory.

By May 2003, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp had grown into a larger and more permanent facility, housing over 680 prisoners, the vast majority without formal charges. The Bush Administration maintained that it was not obliged to grant prisoners basic protections under the U. S. Constitution or the Geneva Conventions, as the former did not extend to foreign soil and the latter did not apply to “illegal enemy combatants”.

When was Guantanamo Bay constructed?

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, is a United States military base located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. It has been leased to the United States since 1903 as a coaling station and naval base, making it the oldest overseas U. S. naval base. The Cuban communist government has consistently protested against the U. S. presence on Cuban soil, arguing that the base was imposed on Cuba by force and is illegal under international law.

Since 2002, the naval base has contained a military prison for alleged unlawful combatants captured during the War on Terror. Cases of alleged torture of prisoners by the U. S. military and their denial of protection under the Geneva Conventions have been criticized. The base has been a focal point for debates over civil liberties, notably influenced by the landmark 2008 Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v.

Bush, which affirmed the constitutional right of detainees to challenge their detention through habeas corpus, highlighting the ongoing tensions between national security measures and fundamental civil liberties.

When did the U.S. lease Guantanamo Bay?

The United States took control of Guantánamo Bay’s southern portion under the 1903 Lease, establishing the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The area has a hot semi-arid climate with low rainfall and is one of Cuba’s driest regions. The US first seized Guantánamo Bay in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, and in 1903, the US and Cuba signed a lease granting permission to use the land as a coaling and naval station.

This lease satisfied the Platt Amendment, which required a naval base at specific points agreed upon by the US President to maintain Cuba’s independence. Despite Cuba’s ultimate sovereignty, the US exercises jurisdiction and control over Guantánamo Bay.

Why does Cuba let U.S. have Guantanamo Bay?

The United States has a right to maintain a base in Guantanamo under Cuban sovereignty and governed by Cuban law. By international agreement and treaty, the US obtained a lease of a defined area and received “complete jurisdiction and control” from Cuba. If Cuba denounces and repudiates the Guantanamo Base arrangements, the US would argue that the Cuban denunciation and repudiation were ineffective, retained its base rights, and would be justified in resisting attempts to evict its armed forces from the base. This conclusion stems from several considerations, including the potential for the US to assert its rights and legal position in the event of a Cuban denunciation.