Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base camp

Hello
My name is Gabriel Rediker and I had to do a Presentation about the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base camp in US-Government. While I was researching everything, I found so many shocking facts about this dangerous place and I want to share it with everyone in the world. Before it became a detention camp in 2002, it was a Naval Base for the military, especially for the Marine. Because of its perfect location in the Atlantic Ocean, America showed interest in the early 1940. There were always troubles around the Naval Base, so the American Military decided to build a big fence with lots of mines around it. Mostly Cuban refuge seeker and of course the military built a 17-mile fence surrounding the base. Most of these mines still remain at this place, and already 25 people were killed, and much more people got injuries. In 1996 US President Bill Clinton ordered the demising of the American placed minefield, but not all mines were founded, especially because the Cuban government didn't want to help. So that was a little history about this place and now, we move forward to the main issue.




In response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001, President Georg W. Bush used the existing migrant detention facilities at Guantanamo. At the time of its establishment in January 2002, the prison camp was built to detain extraordinarily dangerous persons, to interrogate detainees in an optimal setting, and to prosecute detainees for war crimes, so Georg W. Bush. After Bush political appointees at the U.S. Office of Legal Counsel, the first 20 people were sent to Camp X-Ray in January 2002. Camp X-Ray is the first camp that was built on this Naval Base. It had space for 320 detainees, and they were held in cages like animals. The cage was open to all sides, so the prison officer can see whatever the detainees are doing. In other words, no privacy or safety from the weather. It was only a temporary detention facility, which was closed in April 2002, because it was too small to hold all the detainees.



That's why Camp Delta-X was built. The new camp can hold 780 people, and another camp called Iguana for children was a separated camp rite next to Delta-X. I hope everybody of you knows that we live in the 21st century, but I think the US-government didn't, and still doesn't understand what’s going on and what the Human rights are.



 They had the perfect idea, to bring the Middle Ages back in live again and to torture the prisoners, like they are no humans, and almost no one did anything against it (sarcasm). Of course because the UN forbade it, to see after the detainees, if they are still alive, but also because no one was really interested and so the media didn't publish it all the time. But if the enemies torture the Americans, oh my god that’s the most horrible thing ever. But maybe they started torture them because the American had the super idea first to torture all the detainees.     
I'm from Germany and I think because of our past, especially during the World war two time, you can compare these camps with Konzentrationslager from the Hitler era. But the BIG different between these two camps: The KZ was used during a national-socialistic time in 1940 and the Guantanamo Bay camp is now a day in a democratic system. And the reason why America doesn't do anything against it: Guantanamo Bay detainees were not on U.S. soil and therefore not covered by the U.S. constitution. In other words: They could do whatever they want with them, and it is not illegal. Such a surprise why the camp is not in America, but on an Island. They can express all their hate of the 9/11 assassination on the people with tortures, nonhuman conditions and absolute no rights for the detainees. They are also not allowed to exercise their religion and during Ramadan, some detainees got force-fed, although the US government said that the detainees have at least some basic rights. But No nothing.        



Also lots of prisoners were hold without a reason and if they get permission for a release, the detainees were force held, because the government said it is too dangerous to let these people free.
In May 2014, five Taliban’s were released in an exchange for one American soldier, who was arrested in Afghanistan. So trading people is comment again in the states. What a surprise.


The camp should be already shut down for years, or better it should never be opened, but right now is the time to change everything, and that will show that we learned about our mistakes, and that we can make a change, to become a better country. Instead of bringing the case closer to trial, each preliminary hearing in Guantanamo seems to move it further away and the people want it this way. And that is really sad to hear. I am not the only one who thinks like that. Important politicians all over the world said something about this issue especially Angela Merkel from Germany. She said in an interview that she is not going to support the US in this case, but more she wants distance herself out of this case, because she wants more rights for the prisoners.    


I hope I made you a clear opinion about this major issue in the Unites States. I want to say Thank you for taking your time to read my blog and Thank you in advance for making America a better and saver country for everyone.