A Brief History of Guantanamo Post 9–11

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On January 11, 2002–just four months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001–a first planeload of detainees was delivered to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The detainees were marched to a series of cages, collectively known as Camp X-Ray, that would become their prison for the next several months. Open to the elements, the cages exposed detainees to rain and blistering sun until the government moved the detainees to Camp Delta, a concrete facility that more closely resembled a traditional supermax prison.

After 9/11, the U.S. dropped millions of fliers over Afghanistan offering bounties for members of al Qaeda and the Taliban. In the end, over 80% of the detainees at Guantanamo were purchased by the United States from Pakistanis and Afghanis for $3,000 to $30,000. More than 770 men have been imprisoned in Guantanamo. Tragically, contrary to the Bush administration’s labeling of the prisoners as the “worst of the worst,” several military and government organizations quickly realized that many of the prisoners were not dangerous Al Qaeda or Taliban operatives, but individuals who should never have been detained. Early on, an FBI counterterrorism expert estimated that, at most, only 50 detainees were worth holding. And yet several hundred men languished in the prison for years, where they were held without charges, harshly treated, and barred from contact with their friends, families and attorneys.

The U.S. government selected Guantanamo to house these prisoners specifically to imprison the men outside the territory of the United States. The administration’s intent was to keep the detainees outside the reach of lawyers and the rule of law. In a related maneuver, the administration also labeled the prisoners “enemy combatants,” a generic term that was chosen in order to circumvent the protections of the Geneva Conventions, of which the U.S. was a signatory, and other rule of law provisions.

Today, 172 men still remain imprisoned at Guantanamo. While over 600 have been released, many were subject to harsh interrogations, isolation and sensory deprivation at the prison. In addition, all lost precious and unrecoverable years of their lives. Several returned home to meet children whose births they had missed, children who had grown up and were now unable to recognize their fathers. Others found themselves relocated far from their countries of origin, where they have struggled to learn new languages, find jobs, and secure housing. For far too many, thousands of miles still separate them from their loved ones.

Witness to Guantanamo was created to share the stories of these men with the world. It is our hope that humanizing their experiences will help ensure that the tragedy of Guantanamo never happens again.