Cubans Worked At Guantanamo Bay Before 9/11 - Before It Became A Prison

In 1991 my team got the job from Ted Turner Broadcasting (and from Ted Turner himself) to make a two-hour television special on Cuba. The wall in Berlin had come down and the Soviet Union, now becoming Russia, was teetering. At the time, Cuba was dependent upon the Soviet Union for most of its supplies as a embargo was (and still is) placed on it by the USA. For a variety of reasons and just plain luck, we got access to film in all kinds of locations in Havana and around the country – locations that folks outside Cuba had not seen before. This clip from the film presents Guantánamo Bay Naval Station (before became a detention center). At the time, no one had filmed inside this location from the Cuban point of view. Historical Overview: The area around Guantanamo Bay was originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people. It was first visited by Europeans when Christopher Columbus landed there in 1494. It became a part of the Spanish colony of Cuba. During the Spanish-American War in 1898, U.S. forces occupied Guantanamo Bay. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris, in which Spain ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the U.S. The U.S. obtained a lease for Guantanamo Bay from Cuba in 1903 under the terms of the Platt Amendment, an amendment to the Army Appropriations Act of 1901 that stipulated the conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Cuba after the Spanish-American War. The lease allowed the U.S. to use the bay as a coaling and naval station. The base was used extensively during both World Wars as a strategic point to control the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama Canal. It housed warships and submarines, and served as a staging area for aircraft. During the Cold War with the USSR, Guantanamo Bay was a critical outpost in America’s stand-off with the Soviet Union, particularly after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 brought a Communist government to power in Cuba. The base was a key surveillance post and deterrent. In 1991, the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was involved in the operations related to the Gulf War (also known as the Persian Gulf War or Operation Desert Storm). The base played a role in supporting the military efforts of the United States during the conflict. During the Gulf War, Guantanamo Bay served as a logistics hub and staging area for U.S. military operations in the region. It provided support for the deployment of troops, aircraft, and naval assets. The base’s strategic location in the Caribbean made it an important asset for the U.S. military to project its power in the region. Specifically, Guantanamo Bay was utilized for tasks such as pre-deployment training, refueling and resupplying of military aircraft and vessels, medical support, and maintenance of equipment. The base also served as a transit point for personnel traveling to and from the Gulf region. The decision to use the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as a detention facility for suspected terrorists after the 2001 September 11 attacks marked a significant shift in its function and global profile. The prison at Guantánamo Bay, officially known as the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, is a United States military prison that was established in 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The prison became famous and controversial primarily due to its treatment of detainees and the legal and human rights issues surrounding it. The U.S. government began detaining individuals at Guantanamo Bay as part of its efforts to combat terrorism, particularly those believed to be associated with Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Some of the key reasons why Guantanamo Bay has gained notoriety are: Indefinite detention: Many detainees have been held at Guantanamo Bay for extended periods without charge or trial. This has raised concerns about due process, as they have been denied basic legal rights and the opportunity to challenge their detention in court. Enhanced interrogation techniques (that’s what they call it): Reports of the use of harsh interrogation methods, including waterboarding and other forms of torture, have emerged from Guantanamo Bay. These practices have been widely criticized as violating international human rights standards and U.S. law. Legal controversies: The legal status of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay has been a subject of contention. The U.S. government initially argued that the detainees were not entitled to the legal protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution or international law. This has led to legal battles over their rights and the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. International condemnation: The operation of Guantanamo Bay has faced widespread international criticism from human rights organizations, foreign governments, and the United Nations. The indefinite detention and treatment of detainees have been viewed as violations of human rights and a breach of international law.