Guantanamo

[Wayne Goodwin]

Should Guantanamo Be Shut Down ?

If So What Too Do With Them ?

[dwalt]

No it should not be shut down.  We have enough of that sort here already....

[Wayne Goodwin]

Well Mr Obama said yesterday he plan's on trying to get it shut down . Said it cost too much money . I wonder if that's a hint to move them to US soil ....

[dwalt]

Yep it is.

[uno,dos,3]

I think moving them to US soil is a great idea.

We are talking fertilizer aren't we? 

[dwalt]

Yes a bunch of bullsh!t.....

[Wayne Goodwin]

I hear they growing big tomatoes down there .....

[Shadowman]

It is a very odd situation and very expensive both money wise and reputation wise. First there are the legal issues, most prisoners have not been charged with anything such as a misdemeanor or felony and they are not prisoners of war. And as to the base itself, " The Lease has been subject to alot of one sided adjustments in the last 100 years and the U.S. refuses to return the base to Cuba.

An open-ended lease for the area around Guantánamo Bay was signed on 23 February 1903, with Tomás Estrada Palma, the first President of Cuba. The 1903 lease agreement, while it recognized that the Republic of Cuba held ultimate sovereignty over Guantánamo Bay, gave to the United States "complete jurisdiction and control" of the area for coaling and naval stations. The lease is controversial.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base

 

As far as I know, no lease checks have been cashed since 1959 or so and last I heard the only water source was from a desalination plant.

 

So there are really a couple of different questions. Should we shut down just the prison camp built there in 2002? Should we shut down the whole base?  Should we return the leased land to Cuba?

[AmerikinWmn]

Great reply, Shadowman. The President addressed this during his press conference the other day, after being asked about the growing hunger strike. He mentioned he'd tried to shut it down before and Congress said no, but he plans on revisiting this quagmire again. 

I personally don't think there is an easy answer but it somehow goes against the grain to have prisoners who've not been charged or are charged with minimal crimes. President Obama made the remark that Guantanamo is responsible for encouraging more jihadists and I don't think I'd argue that point much.