• Guantanamo Bay is a United States Naval Base in southeastern Cuba. Since January 2002, thousands of detainees connected to the War on Terror have been housed at "Gitmo."CBC News: Guantanamo (July 11, 2006)

  The President of Palau announced, on June 10, 2009, that the government of his Pacific Island would accept 17 Uighurs, or Chinese Muslims who were being held at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. feared that if they sent the Uighurs, a separatist group seeking an independent East Turkistan, back to China, they might be automatically be executed.http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-10-voa7.cfm

• Fast Facts

  1. Built in 1898
  2. Territory acquired by the U.S. at the end of the Spanish American War
  3. U.S. leased the base from Cuba for $4,000 a yearCBC News: Guantanamo (July 11, 2006)
  4. Also known as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base or "Gitmo"
  5. Housed as many as 375 detainees in 2007FOX News: White House Wants to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison 'As Soon As Possible'
  6. First detainees arrived in January 2002CBC News: Guantanamo (July 11, 2006)
  7. Detainees are considered "unlawful combatants" by the U.S.
  8. Three individual detention camps: Delta, Iguana and X-Ray
  9. President Barack Obama has said he wants to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp
  10. Obama issued an order shortly after taking office to suspend war crimes trials at Guantanamo Bay pending a reviewCNN: Obama calls for halt to Gitmo prosecutions (January 21, 2009)
  11. Obama has indicated the process of closing the facility could take some timeMSNBC: Obama preparing order to close Gitmo (January 12, 2009)
  12. A maximum security jail in Alexandria, Virginia a possible option for housing detaineesThe Washington Post: Security Worries in the Suburbs (March 25, 2009)

• Miss Universe

  In March 2009 Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza, visited the military base at Guantanamo as a guest with the U.S.O. While visiting with the troops she took a tour of the base and visited the beach. She characterized her visit as a "lot of fun."Reuters: Miss Universe says had a lot of fun... (March 31, 2009)

• Closing Guantanamo?

  President Barack Obama has said he will order the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. On January 12, 2009, reports surfaced that Obama would issue an executive order to close the facility shortly after taking office. The Associated Press quoted an anonymous Obama transition team adviser as saying the order to shut down "Gitmo" could come within days of Obama's inauguration.MSNBC: Obama preparing order to close Gitmo (January 12, 2009)

  Just hours after Obama took the oath of office as president on January 20, 2009, the AP reported that prosecutors had proposed an "indefinite continuance" of all war-crimes trials pending more information from Obama.The Associated Press: Defense: Prosecutors seek to pause Gitmo trials (January 20, 2009)

  On January 22, 2009 President Barack Obama signed three executive orders one of which orders the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, no later than a year from now.USAToday: Obama signs order to close Guantanamo (January 22, 2009)

  On March 13, 2009, the Obama administration announced that Guantanamo Bay inmates would no longer be referred to as "enemy combatants" and their holding would now correspond with international law, a heavy shift from the anti-terror policy of the George W. Bush administration.Reuters: Guantanamo inmates no longer "enemy combatants"

• Alexandria Virginia Jail

  A maximum security jail in Alexandria, Virginia that once housed Zacarias Moussaoui for five years, may become the new residence for at least some of the detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Although no official word has been released from the administration, a senior Justice Department official recently named both Alexandria and Manhattan as possible options for housing detainees.The Washington Post: Security Worries in the Suburbs (March 25, 2009)

  The jail, which currently houses over 450 inmates in its eight-story building, was built in 1987 on an area that had once been the city dump. Many city and state officials are opposed to the idea of housing the detainees, citing security risks to residents and prisoners. Outspoken critics include Alexandria's mayor, William D. Euille, and republican representative Frank Wolf.The Washington Post: Security Worries in the Suburbs (March 25, 2009)

• History

  The base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been in operation for over a century and is the oldest overseas U.S. Navy base. It is the only U.S. Navy base in a country with which the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations.Naval Station: Naval Station Guantanamo Bay The United States' claim to the bay dates back to the end of the Spanish American War in 1898. However, Cuba considers the base's existence an illegal occupation.

• Guantanamo Today

  Currently, the base serves as a detention camp for alleged enemy combatants arrested in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. A reported 707 detainees have been brought to Guantanamo and 420 have been released. The detainees are considered "unlawful combatants" by the United States.Global Security: Global Security

• Ex-Guantanamo Bay Inmates

  A statement by the Pentagon released on January 13, 2009, reported that an estimated 61 detainees released from Guantanamo Bay had returned to terrorism. 18 former detainees were confirmed to have "returned to the fight," while 43 were suspected to be involved with terror activity.Reuters: Pentagon: 61 ex-Guantanamo inmates return to terrorism (January 13, 2009)

• U.S. Drops Charges Against Detainees

  In October 2008, the U.S. dismissed war crimes charges against five Guantanamo Bay detainees: Mohammed Hashim, Noor Uthman Muhammed, Sufyiam Barhoumi, Ghassan Abdullah al Sharbi and Jabran Said Bin al Qahtani. While no public explanation was given for the decision, the charges were dismissed "without prejudice." This means new charges against the five could eventually be filed.

  A former prosecutor in the case, Army Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld, has claimed the U.S. military was witholding evidence from the defense. Vandeveld resigned his post in September 2008.BBC News: Guantanamo inmate charges dropped (October 21, 2008) The New York Times: U.S. Drops Charges Against 5 Detainees (October 21, 2008)

• Improved Conditions

  A report ordered by President Obama to review the prisoner's conditions at the base concluded that the conditions met the standards laid out in the Geneva Conventions. Human rights groups have disputed the findings.Washington Post: Pentagon Review Finds Guantanamo Conditions Meet Geneva Conventions (February 21, 2009) The report also recommended that detainees be allowed more time for social interaction and recreational activities, as some are isolated in their cells for up to 23 hours per day.BBC: Call to relax Guantanamo regime (February 24, 2009)

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  Obama Guantanamo | War on Terror | Iraq War | Afghanistan War | American Prisoner Abuse Controversy | Abu Ghraib Prison | Guantanamo Manual | Murat Kurnaz | Guantanamo Rights Bill Blocked | Gitmo Prisoner Interrogation Video | Thomas Hartmann | Guantanamo Six | David Remes | Habeas Corpus | Darrel Vandeveld | Barack Obama | Susan Crawford | Guantanamo Bay Trial | Said Ali al Shihri | Obama Administration | Dennis Blair | Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri | Data.gov| Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani

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