Some so-called "facts" about our outpost in Cuba (cannot speak for their factuality, but they have appeared in respoectable Press);
I simply found these "facts" interesting
- It is a Navy base, not a Marine post (is that what one calls it Bones/Drifter?)
- It is officially known today as "Joint Task Force Guantanamo"
- Chief counsel for the detainee's defense is Zoomie Colonel Will Gunn, supervising 6 lawyers who work from the proximity of the Pentagon
- Almost nobody in Cuba speaks Spanish
- Spaniards were evicted from Cuba by the USA in 1898
- Guantanamo occupies 45 square miles on the southern coast of Cuba
- Under a 1903 treaty the USA has a "perpetual lease" of Guantanamo
- The annual rent for Guantanamo is now $4080.00 per year, which is offered to Cuba every year, but has not been accepted by Castro in four decades
- In the 1990s, the USA removed all our mines from the DMZ, Cuba has not done so, on their side, yet
- In January 2002 prisoners were moved there (Camp X-Ray) from Afghanistan.
- In April 2002 X-Ray was replaced by Camp Delta.
- 200 journalists and delegations from 50 foreign governments plus many elected American government officials and Red Cross have visited
- Camp Delta has cost $70,000,000 to build
- Inmates there are from 44 countries
- 21 inmates have attempted suicide, none successfully thusfar
- Guards view prisoners twice every 60 seconds
- In the past year 80 new prisoners have arrived
- The base has a population of 5000, an outdoor movie theatre, 9-hole golf course, one McDonald's (okay, so SUE me for not posting your stupid trademark!!!), speed limit is 25mph everywhere
- 2200 military personnel are there, half of whom are Reserves or Guard
- 5 Cubans work on the base
- Troopers greet one another with the report, "Honor Bound!"
- There are no prisoners from Iraq there
Taken from:
ANNALS OF LAW
"Inside the Wire", by: Jeffrey Toobin
NEW YORKER magazine
Feb 9, 2004
