Here are some interesting facts about Guantanamo naval base, taken from www.nsgtmo.navy.mil/gazette/History_98-64/hischp3.htm

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The land area above described comprises 19,621 acres, 11,058 on the windward side, and 8,563 on the leeward. The water areas, consisting principally of Guantanamo Bay from the mouth of the harbor (theoretical line joining Leeward and Windward Points) to the northern boundary line, comprise 9,196 acres. The total naval reservation contains 28,817 acres or about 45 square miles of land and water. (The foregoing figures are based on the original survey).
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(a) The United States contracted to pay Cuba the annual sum of two thousand dollars in gold.
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Thus it is clear that at Guantanamo Bay we have a Naval reservation which, for all practical purposes, is American territory. Under the foregoing agreements, the United States has for approximately fifty years exercised the essential elements of sovereignty over this territory, without actually owning it. Unless we abandon the area or agree to a modification of the terms of our occupancy, we can continue in the present status as long as we like. Persons on the reservation are amenable only to United States legislative enactments. There are a few restrictions on our freedom of action, but they present no serious problem. We may not use the reservation for other than a naval station; we have agreed not to interfere with the passage of vessels engaged in Cuban trade; private enterprise is forbidden on the reservation; and we are obligated to prevent the smuggling of materials and merchandise into Cuban territory.
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Pretty cool, eh?   we get a special "home away from home" for 2,000 gold coins/ $4,xxx or $2000 in gold, depending on the source, which is over 19,000 acres.

forever.


I'd give $5,000 a year to have a 19,000 acres guaranteed lease forever in about the half life of ununoctium, wouldn't you?

I did a speech on this topic for one of my college classes.

What's even better is that every year we send castro a rent check for whatever $2000 in gold is worth, and every year he refuses to cash it. Apparently he feels that it would show that he accepts that we have a legimtimate right to be there and he doesn't want to do that.

His loss, but $2000 is a drop in the bucket in terms of government funding and spending.

This statement (Whatever $2000 in gold is worth)... is a bit like saying how much is $2000 of hamburger worth?...

$2000 worth of _____ is worth $2000!

Edited to say - Sorry, I'm a bit onery tonight...  Maybe I'd better go have a beer.

maybe the .gov could send me that check for $2000 every year instead...?  i see a letter writing campaign in my future [:O]

Cuban Nationals used to work on the base (they may still, I guess). All through the Cuban Missile Crisis, they were passing in and out of the base going to and from work. The base also received water and sewage from the Cuban Government up through 1964.

So we finally secided we were fed up with their sh*t in '64?  Nah, that can't be what you meant [;)]

Good grief, change that beer to a scotch on the rocks - I need to mellow out...

As in sewage service, Smart Guy.

[url]http://www.nsgtmo.navy.mil/gazette/History_98-64/hischp21.htm[/url]

I flew into there on a C-141.  Interesting approach & departure to avoid commie airspace.  A friend of mine saw a 141 drag a wingtip trying to make the sharp turn and get lined up a tad late.

isnt that the reason the Bush Admin is using to < after the court ruling that pedilla needs a lawyer > NOT get the people there legal consel .

that GITMO is not realy under US control since the lease is not vaild and that cuba can get it back anytime they want it?

and since its not under US control.. the US constitution does not apply to prisoners there. < edited to replace "?" with a period..>

In my opinion (which I happen top respect greatly) the US Constitution guarantees the rights of US citizens and has no bearing on citizens of other sovereign nations.  As enemy combatants they are being treated in accordance with the applicable DoD guidelines, but I wouldn't think of [i]imposing[/i] the Constitution of the great satan [;)] upon them.  That might offend their sensibilities.

my mistake . did not mean to put a ? after that last sentence..

the reason I mention that was the admin position about the US con. not appliing there was because didnt the 9th circut rule that they needed lawyers also ?

I wasn't sure of the direction you were going.  I just don't have a whole lot of pity for the folks being held down there.  It's for sure they've been eating better in our custody.

Here are a few more great facts.

They have a McDonalds on base, with no a/c and lousy service, it closes as soon as the movie ends so you cannot get anything for the hike home.

They have a huge group of lazy jamaican/hatian employees who do as little as possible and are as stupid as rocks.  Getting anything done is an exercise in slow madness.  They have a population of elderly cubans who moved on base "till the crisis ended" and have lived there 40 years.  If you swim to GITMO, you get a boat ride back to Cuba, no safe haven.

Military contractors do all they work, the navy is as lazy as the jamaicans.  They have a beach, it is almost 100 yards wide and rocky, not good for surfing or swimming.  If you like to scuba dive they have one location for diving.  You can rent a boat and go no place in particular for as long as you want, no leaving the bay.

On the bright side, the one movie a night is free, once they priced everything in the meat counter $1.99 a pound so steaks were really cheap for a week, they have 2 liquor stores.  Sometimes the line to dance with the girl went around the bar.  It is a good place for ulgy women to get dates.

Running over buzzards and banana rats in the road is more fun than you think.