Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Spanish: Base Naval de la Bahía de Guantánamo), officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO or Gitmo because of the common pronunciation of this word by the U.S. military) is a United States military base located on 45 square miles (117 km 2) of land and water on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. In 2013 more than half of the camp’s 166 detainees, some of whom had been cleared for release or transfer, engaged in a hunger strike to draw attention to their situation. It has been used to justify a wide range of military actions in fourteen countries, the indefinite detention of adults and minors at Guantánamo Bay military prison, and ongoing drone warfare. Y sont détenues des personnes qualifiées de « combattant illégal », capturées par l'armée américaine dans les différentes opérations qu'elle mène à l'étranger (Afghanistan, Irak, etc.) -Erin Choplak - University of Washington - Argument of humanitarian rights (Human Rights Brief, 2002) - Unlawful Combatants/ Unprivileged (In 2009, however, the U.S. official in charge of military commissions at Guantánamo declared that the detainee suspected as a would-be hijacker in the September 11 attacks could not be prosecuted because he had been tortured.) He called the camp a stain on the U.S. record of upholding the rule of law and said that its continued operation was “counterproductive to our fight against terrorists, because they use it as propaganda in their efforts…, …country’s permanent naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Share 51. found: Wikipedia, Feb. 3, 2009 (Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp; a United States detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantánamo since 2001 in Guantánamo Bay Naval Base; detainment areas consist of three camps in the base: Camp Delta (which includes Camp Echo), Camp Iguana, and Camp X-Ray (which has been closed); facility is often referred to as the Guantánamo, or Gitmo) Corrections? In response to such criticism, the Bush administration generally insisted that detainees were well cared for and that none of the “enhanced interrogation techniques” employed on some prisoners were torturous. In 2008, however, the court overturned the latter provision of the law by ruling (in Boumediene v. Bush) that foreign detainees did have the right to challenge their detentions in the federal courts. Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp: Global Elite Taken to GITMO by US Special Forces – Full Disclosure Implications – Official Documents – List of Indictments. …closing of the controversial military detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, within a year (a deadline that was not met); proposed a “fresh start” to strained relations with Russia; and traveled to Cairo in June 2009 to deliver a historic speech in which he reached out to the Muslim world.…, …new plan for closing the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Originally intended to be an “island outside the law” where terrorism suspects could be detained without process and interrogated without restraint, the prison and military commissions at Guantánamo Bay are catastrophic failures. The reporter Carol Rosenberg has been covering Guantánamo Bay since before it became a “war on terror” prison camp — and she’s still at it. Additionally, according to U.S. officials, the use of such techniques had in many cases—e.g., in the interrogation of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 plot—yielded valuable intelligence on the leadership, methods, and plans of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. The ACLU fights in courts and advocates with Congress and the executive branch to secure the release of detainees who have never been charged with a crime; to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay; and to end Guantánamo’s flawed military commissions. Guantánamo Bay detention centre – a symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention without charge or trial – is in its 15th year of existence. Camp Iguana originally held three child detainees, who camp spokesmen then claimed were the only detainees under age 16 (the age at which DOD defined minors). The legality of the commissions was restored in 2006 by the Military Commission Act, which also denied the federal courts jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus petitions on behalf of foreign detainees. Although President Barack Obama increased his efforts to transfer some of these men, they continued to be stuck in a quagmire in which no arm of government is willing to end the violation of their rights — and Guantánamo’s blight on our nation’s reputation and security. The Pentagon refused to disclose its cost, which contractor built it and when. At home and around the world, Guantánamo has become a symbol of injustice, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law. Help ACLU take on assaults to our civil liberties at a moment's notice! At home and around the world, Guantánamo has become a symbol of injustice, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law. If there is not enough reliable evidence for criminal prosecution, there is certainly not enough to justify locking someone up—possibly forever. The prison is said to be breaking international human rights laws, as prisoners have been held without trial, and there have been reports of prisoners being tortured. Updates? In early 2002 the camp began receiving suspected members of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks, and fighters for the Taliban, the Islamic fundamentalist faction that had ruled Afghanistan (1996–2001) and harboured al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his followers. Guantánamo Bay detention camp, also called Gitmo, U.S. detention facility on the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, located on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in southeastern Cuba. The closure of the Guantánamo camp was subsequently delayed by opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress, who argued that housing the detainees in prisons on U.S. soil would imperil national security. contre des militants et terroristes islamistes. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Dozens of these detainees have already been cleared for release by the U.S. military and national security agencies. The facility became the focus of worldwide controversy over alleged violations of the legal rights of detainees under the Geneva Conventions and accusations of torture or abusive treatment of detainees by U.S. authorities. What is Guantánamo Bay detention camp? Eventually hundreds of prisoners from several countries were held at the camp without charge and without the legal means to challenge their detentions. If there is reliable evidence, detainees should be prosecuted in our tried and true criminal justice system. Exactly 19 years after the Guantánamo Bay detention centre first opened, UN independent human rights experts on Monday urged the incoming United States administration of Joe Biden, to close the notorious military prison as soon as possible. Update: 2/9/2021 Must Read: The Executed: Clones, Doubles, Actors, Transvestites Hiding in Plain Sight, Holographic or CGI. Reporters were not permitted to … Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Guantanamo-Bay-detention-camp, American Civil Liberties Union - Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp, internment facility, Camp Delta, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. It is long past time for this shameful episode in American history to be brought to a close. Follow. Commemoration of the 20 th Anniversary of the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camps January 2022 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Guantánamo Bay detention camps, which were used as a U.S. military prison just months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001. A detention camp for captured enemy combatants was set up at Guantanamo Bay following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp, also known as Gitmo or GTMO, is a group of high security prisons or detainee centers, run by the US Military and located in Cuba at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Elise Swain March 3 2019, 12:30 p.m. He also required interrogators to use only the techniques contained in the U.S. Army’s field manual on interrogation, none of which was considered torturous. This camp was originally used in the late 1970s to detain Cuban and Haitian refugees, who were found to be trying to escape to Florida and illegally enter the US. by Medeea Greere February 5, 2021 February 9, 2021 23 10305. Eventually hundreds of prisoners were held at the facility without charge and without the legal means to challenge their detentions (. Originally intended to be an “island outside the law” where terrorism suspects could be detained without process and interrogated without restraint, the prison and military commissions at Guantánamo Bay are catastrophic failures. Today, 41 men remain, nearly all held without charge or trial. Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge by ordering the closure of the facility at Guantánamo within one year and a review of ways to transfer detainees to the United States for imprisonment or trial. On January 22, 2009, Democratic Pres. Camp 7 was long one of Guantánamo’s most clandestine sites. George W. Bush maintained that it was neither obliged to grant basic constitutional protections to the prisoners, since the base was outside U.S. territory, nor required to observe the Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians during wartime, as the conventions did not apply to “unlawful enemy combatants.” In 2006 the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the system of military commissions that was to be used to try selected prisoners held at Guantánamo was in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Guardian . We Need You With Us — help defend our civil liberties. A protester holds vigil outside the White House in 2012 to symbolize the captivity of Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp prisoners. Guantánamo Bay detention camp, also called Gitmo, U.S. detention facility on the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, located on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in southeastern Cuba. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Since 2002 it has cost the United States $6 billion, and the yearly cost of imprisoning each person is over $13 million. Immediately after his election as president in 2009, Barack Obama promised that he would close the camp within one year. The Mauritanian: 14 ans dans le camp de détention de Guantánamo – l’horrible réalité de la «guerre contre le terrorisme» menée par l’Amérique Joanne Laurier 3 avril 2021 A U.S. Army guard stands in a corridor of cells in Camp Five, a detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in this September 4, 2007 file photo. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp Federal courts are well equipped to prosecute terrorism suspects and handle sensitive national security evidence while protecting defendants’ rights. My Brother’s Keeper: a former Guantánamo detainee, his guard and their unlikely friendship. Le choix de ce centre situé à Cuba sur une base militaire américaine a été justifié par le président George W. Bushafin de fonder jurid… Omissions? Despite the court’s decision, several prisoners who had been cleared for release in other countries or for transfer to their home countries continued to be detained, either because no country would accept them or because their home countries were deemed too volatile to guarantee their secure imprisonment. グアンタナモ湾収容キャンプ（グアンタナモわんしゅうようキャンプ、英: Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Guantánamo, G-Bay, Gitmo, GTMO）は、キューバのグアンタナモ湾のグァンタナモ米軍基地に設置されているアメリカ南方軍グアンタナモ共同機動部隊運営の収容キャンプ。 Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp: Arrests, Indictments and Executions for Thousands of New Ex-Elite Prisoners – Official Documents by Medeea Greere March 2, 2021 136 15755 Before we get started, let us first understand that before Trump was POTUS GITMO (Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp) was a fraction of the size it now is. Camp 7 was one of Guantánamo’s most secretive sites, housing high-value suspects including those connected to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and … 2 months ago | 682 views. Watch fullscreen. Constructed in stages starting in 2002, the Guantánamo Bay detention camp (often called Gitmo, which is also a name for the naval base) was used to house Muslim militants and suspected terrorists captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere (see also Iraq War). Guantánamo’s military commissions, which violate fair trial requirements, are fundamentally broken. 2 months ago | 682 views. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It’s No Place for Kids. Show your ACLU pride and wear your rights. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is easy to forget that the Guantánamo Bay detention camp is located on the southeastern coast of the Republic of Cuba. Seven years on, the notorious detention centre remains open. Protesters outside the American embassy in London demanding the closure of the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba; January 2008. Protesters mark 18th anniversary of Guantánamo Bay detention camp and call for its closure and ‘accountability for torture’ near the White House, on 11 January. The entrance to an internment facility at Camp Delta, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Keeping the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp open is extremely costly. It is located in Cuba, specifically at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, thus the name. In addition to unlawful detention, many were subjected to torture and other brutal treatment. The Guantanamo Bay detention camp (which is also called Guantanamo or Gitmo) is a United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on the coast of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Le camp de Guantánamo est un centre de détention militaire de haute sécurité situé sur la base navale américaine de Guantánamo, dans le sud-est de Cuba. Follow. Trump Embraces the Original Sin of Guantánamo, At Guantánamo, a Death Penalty Case Without a Death Penalty Lawyer. Geneva Conventions - Convention 1 and 2 - Convention 3 (A Pledge peace union project) Convention 4 and Juxtaposing argument of security. Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp | American Civil Liberties Union Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp Originally intended to be an “island outside the law” where terrorism suspects could be detained without process and interrogated without restraint, the prison and military commissions at Guantánamo Bay are catastrophic failures. I’ve Been to Guantanamo. Guantánamo Bay detention camp, also called Gitmo, U.S. detention facility on the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, located on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in southeastern Cuba. Small compound in the detention camp complex on the US Naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Since the prison camp opened in 2002, almost 800 men have passed through its cells. The camp was repeatedly condemned by international human rights and humanitarian organizations—including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross—as well as by the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS), for alleged human rights violations, including the use of various forms of torture during interrogations. Jeannette L. Nolen was an editor in social science at Encyclopaedia Britannica. The administration of Republican Pres.