With President Obama’s trip abroad to Cuba, the debate over closing America’s detention camp at Guantanamo Bay is receiving more attention in the American political discourse. The United States took control of the Cuban territory during the Spanish-American war, some argue illegally. The real controversy surrounding America’s occupation of Guantanamo Bay is its detention camp that exists there, which was founded in 2002 to interrogate accused terrorists who perceivably wish to do harm to the United States. The practices that occur at the detention camp and the existence of the detention camp are in opposition with American values and harm the American people, the Cuban people and both governments.
When the accused are taken to Guantanamo, the idea perpetuates that these individuals exist outside of the U.S. and international legal frameworks. Individuals accused of criminal activity, even activity that is as heinous as participation in a mass murder in conjunction with a terrorist organization, ought always be privy to the rights given to them by the Constitution of the United States or the Geneva convention. Both of these doctrines were created to ensure that governments are not violating access to rights on a case-by-case basis. There is no action so extreme that would allow governments to omit an individual’s access to such basic rights as due process of law.
The sort of torture that officials acting on behalf of the U.S. government use to interrogate the accused is unmentionable. Water boarding and forced feeding due to hunger strikes are two of the many things being done to the human beings at this camp and are also words that I am hesitant to put on paper. Is it not important to set a threshold for what extremes we will go to retrieve an answer from a human being? If America does not abide by some moral code then it cannot expect anyone, including terrorist organizations, to adopt a strict moral code regarding the sanctity of human life. Because the existence of the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay necessarily means that this violation of U.S. and international law will continue, it must be closed.
Some may make the argument that torture is necessary for the intelligence gathering that will prevent future attacks from occurring. This is an absurd argument. There is plenty of proof that torture does not equate to receiving accurate information. On one hand, individuals being tortured are more likely to give inaccurate information to ensure they are tortured no longer. What’s more is that the allegiance to a certain ideology or group that is necessary to carry out the attacks that these individuals are accused of carrying out will absolutely ensure that the same individuals do not give away any information that would put that ideology or group in danger.
It is important morally for the United States to end these practices, however, there are numerous practical reasons why the detention camp should be closed as well. America has garnered a lot of negative attention for their operations at Guantanamo Bay. It is important for America to have the respect of the entirety of the international community. However, the closing of the detention camp is specifically important for U.S.-Cuba relations and subsequently U.S.-Latin America relations. The Cuban people have expressed, without much doubt, that they no longer wish for the U.S. to occupy the territory, much less keep the detention camp open. Latin America has a long history of mistrust of the United States precisely because of the imperialistic acts such as the camp at Guantanamo. If the U.S. wants to have a good relationship with its neighbors it is imperative that the detention camp closes.
The opposing argument that inevitably is presented is that closing the detention camp is a danger for U.S. national security. In fact, quite the opposite is true. First, other than a place to torture the accused, there is no strategic benefit of having a military base at Guantanamo. Second, the camp acts as a strong recruitment mechanism for groups such as the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. The idea that America is the evil empire, one that resonates strongly with would-be terrorists, is only perpetuated by the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. If closing it down stops one individual from becoming radicalized then it should be considered successful.
In a world where it seems as there is a war between the west and the east, or at least a world where some groups and states stand to gain by peddling this falsehood, everything must be done to encourage peace. If corrupt and harmful practices begin to come to an end, there is a chance for peace in the world in which we exist. Therefore, considering the lack of benefits to occupying Guantanamo and keeping the detention center there open, it is time to close it.
