Should the U.S. Close Guantanamo Bay Naval Base?
This paper examines the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, tracing its origins as a fueling station leased in 1903 through its modern role as a controversial detention facility. Drawing on legal scholarship, policy analysis, and political commentary, the paper evaluates whether continued operations at Guantanamo Bay serve American security interests. It considers the constitutional and human rights questions surrounding the detention of suspected terrorists, the enormous financial costs involved, damage to the United States' international reputation, and the political obstacles that have prevented closure despite repeated presidential pledges. The paper concludes that the base has become a legal, moral, and strategic liability.
- Introduction: Research question and paper overview
- Background of the Issue: History and operations of Guantanamo Bay
- Analysis of the Issue: Legal, financial, ethical, and political arguments for closure
- Conclusion: Guantanamo Bay deemed a national legal and moral liability
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What makes this paper effective
- It marshals a diverse range of authoritative sources — legal scholarship, policy analysis, presidential statements, and journalism — to build a multi-dimensional critique rather than relying on a single perspective.
- The paper uses direct quotations strategically, allowing prominent voices (President Obama, former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, legal scholars) to anchor arguments without over-paraphrasing.
- It acknowledges counterarguments — such as the position of former Assistant Defense Secretary Lietzau — before rebutting them, lending the analysis intellectual honesty.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of source synthesis: rather than treating each citation as an isolated data point, it weaves together legal, financial, political, and moral threads to construct a cumulative argument. The transition from constitutional law analysis (Sixth Amendment, habeas corpus, Boumediene v. Bush) to cost-effectiveness critique to international reputation damage shows how a well-organized policy paper can argue from multiple disciplines simultaneously.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a classic three-part academic structure: an Introduction that frames the research question and method; a Background section that establishes historical and operational context; a substantial Analysis section that examines legal, financial, ethical, and political dimensions in depth; and a Conclusion that synthesizes the findings into a clear evaluative judgment. The Analysis section carries the bulk of the argumentative weight and is organized thematically rather than chronologically.
Introduction
The United States has leased 45 square miles of land and water at Guantanamo Bay from Cuba for more than a century. Commonly known as "Gitmo," the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay has been the source of increasing calls for its closure as no longer necessary or appropriate in the 21st century. To determine the facts, this paper reviews the relevant literature concerning Guantanamo Bay to provide background on the issue and an analysis of whether U.S. interests there justify its continued operations. A summary of the research and important findings are provided in the conclusion.
Background of the Issue
The U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is 45 square miles in size and is located on the southeast end of Cuba. The naval base was leased by the United States from Cuba in February 1903 to be used as a fueling station (Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 2014). The U.S. managed to exact this lease following the defeat of Spain there in 1898 and by assisting Cuba in achieving its independence (Nazaryan, 2014). In return, the United States was "given complete jurisdiction and control" over Guantanamo Bay (Nazaryan, 2014). The 45 square miles of land and water were originally intended for use as a fueling station, and the base's mission has expanded significantly in the years since (Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 2014).
Today, the U.S. Naval Base there carries a number of missions beyond serving as a prison, including providing support for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard as well as allied vessels operating in the Caribbean region through logistical support, contingency operations, and planning. The United States is obligated to pay Cuba $4,095 a year for the Guantanamo Bay lease, but Fidel and then Raúl Castro have refused the payments since 1960 (Nazaryan, 2014). In addition, Guantanamo Bay also provides assistance to the Department of Homeland Security in facilitating the relocation of displaced migrants (Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 2014).
The base also contains recreational and comfort facilities for service members stationed there, including a McDonald's, Taco Bell, Windjammer Café, outdoor movie theaters, a bowling alley, a golf course, and a skate park (Nazaryan, 2014). The most notorious facilities at Guantanamo Bay, however, are those at "Camp 7," used to house suspected terrorists — an issue that has assumed enormous importance since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the Persian Gulf wars.
Conclusion
The research showed that for more than 100 years, the United States has leased 45 square miles of Cuban land and water for a naval base originally intended as a fueling station. Since 2002, the notorious detention facility at Guantanamo Bay has been the source of growing calls from lawmakers, the American public, and the international community to close the base permanently. For a country that prides itself on being a nation of laws, it is clear that Guantanamo Bay has not only outlived its usefulness but has become a national liability that does the United States far more harm than good at an exorbitant price. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base served a purpose in the early 20th century, but that purpose has long since vanished, leaving behind a legal and moral morass that demands resolution.
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