Guantanamo Bay detention camp facts for kids
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 Location in Cuba
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| Location | Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba |
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| Coordinates | 19°54′03″N 75°05′59″W / 19.90083°N 75.09972°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Population | 30 (as of July 2024) |
| Opened | January 11, 2002 |
| Managed by | United States Navy |
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a special United States military prison. It is located inside the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. People often call it GTMO (pronounced Gitmo /ˈɡɪtmoʊ/ GIT-moh).
This camp was started in January 2002 by U.S. President George W. Bush. Its purpose was to hold people suspected of terrorism. These suspects were called "illegal enemy combatants" during the Global War on Terrorism. This war began after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since it opened, at least 780 people from 48 countries have been held there. As of August 2024, 740 of them have been moved to other places.
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What is the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp?
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a prison run by the United States military. It is on a U.S. naval base in Cuba. This base is a piece of land that the U.S. rents from Cuba. The camp was set up quickly after the 9/11 attacks.
Its main goal was to hold people captured during the "War on Terror." These were often people suspected of being part of Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. The U.S. government believed these groups were involved in the 9/11 attacks.
Why Was the Camp Created?
After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. declared a "war on terror." They led a military operation in Afghanistan. The goal was to stop Al-Qaeda and capture its leader, Osama bin Laden. Many people were captured during this operation.
President Bush then made a special rule in November 2001. This rule allowed foreign people to be held without a trial. It also stopped them from challenging their detention in court. The U.S. Department of Justice said that a legal right called habeas corpus did not apply at Guantanamo Bay. Habeas corpus is a way to challenge if someone is being held illegally. They argued it did not apply because the camp was outside U.S. territory.
In January 2002, a temporary prison called "Camp X-Ray" was built. It was made to hold suspected Al-Qaeda members and Taliban fighters. Most of these prisoners were captured in Afghanistan.
How Did the Camp Grow?
By May 2003, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp became much larger. It became a more permanent facility. At this time, it held over 680 prisoners. Most of these prisoners had not been formally charged with any crime.
The Bush Administration believed that U.S. laws did not fully apply there. They also said that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to these prisoners. The Geneva Conventions are international rules for how prisoners of war should be treated. The U.S. government called these prisoners "unlawful enemy combatants."
Controversies and Challenges
Many groups that work for human rights and legal fairness disagreed with these policies. They said the policies were against the U.S. Constitution. They also believed the policies broke international human rights law.
The U.S. Supreme Court made several important decisions. These decisions said that the prisoners did have rights. They had rights to "due process" and habeas corpus. Due process means fair legal treatment. However, the prisoners were still judged by military tribunals. These are special military courts.
Calls for Closure
These military tribunals have been controversial. Some people say they are not fair or independent. Because of these issues, many people and groups have called for the camp to be closed. There has been a lot of criticism both inside and outside the U.S.
In January 2018, President Donald Trump signed an order. This order kept the detention camp open for an unknown time. His administration sent only one prisoner back to their home country.
Since 2021, President Joe Biden has promised to close the camp. He wants to close it before his time in office ends. However, his administration has continued to spend millions of dollars. This money is used to expand the military commissions and other facilities at Guantanamo Bay.
