From what I can tell Guantanamo Bay served no real purpose it its entire existence. It was a defensive move made by the Government after September 11th because they felt as though they had to do something, even though they truly did not know what that was.

References

Closure of Guantanamo Detention Facilities. (2009). Retrieved March 25, 2010, from The White

House Web site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/closureofguantanamodetentionfacilities/

Guantanamo Bay. (2009). Retrieved March 25, 2010, from Discover the Networks Web site:

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/guideDesc.asp?catid=135&type=issue

Marguiles, Joseph. (2004). A Prison Beyond the Law. Virginia Quarterly Review. 80(4), p37-55.

Obama defends plan to close Gitmo. (2009). Retrieved...

(2009). Retrieved March 25, 2010, from BBC News Web
site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7845585.stm

Pries, Dana and Higham, Scott. (2004). At Guantanamo, a Prison within a Prison. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from The Washington Post Web site:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5918-2004Dec16.html

Should the prison at Guantanamo Bay be closed? (2006). Retrieved March 25, 2010, from Pro

Con Web site: http://usiraq.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000936