Guantanamo: Why We're Talking About It, and Why We Won't Be Able to Return It Anytime Soon

The Huffington Post's The Blog ^ | February 5, 2015 | Professor Alfred J. López

[2ndDivisionVet]

Two distinct but ultimately inextricable controversies have swirled around U.S. foreign policy in recent days, both more or less involving Cuba.

The normalizing of relations with Havana, which had slipped from the headlines, has returned with a vengeance thanks to Raúl Castro's ever-growing list of demands, which may eventually grow to include Pres. Obama's confession that it was actually he who ordered Navy Seals to assassinate José Martí in 1895.

Specifically, Cuba's demand for the return of Guantánamo has enraged many on both the U.S. right and in Democratic circles. More importantly, Cuba's demand coincided with the onset of coverage of the still-very-far-away Republican primaries for the 2016 elections. This confluence of events has thrust Cuba onto the political front-burner, with the prospective candidates--including two Cuban-Americans and another who has long enjoyed that community's support--obliged to weigh in. But outside of the political points they may score (or not) with Cuban-American voters of a certain age, whether Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Jeb Bush believe we should return Guantánamo to Cuba doesn't really matter.

Why? Because the other Cuba-related controversy of the day is precisely about whether and how to close the detention center at Guantánamo....

[Lurker]

We have a lease.

L

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Left instinctively wants to give our assets away. See: Panama Canal.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

While the lease is still in effect, Cuba has not cashed any of the checks sent by the US government and they expire after 90 days. ;-)

Is that cool or what?

[Leaning Right]

Cuba has not cashed any of the checks sent by the US government

They actually did cash one, soon after Castro took power. Castro claimed it was cashed in error, due to the confusion of the times. I'd sure hate to be the clerk who did that. He's probably still sitting in a dungeon somewhere in Cuba.

[arthurus]

The Sultan has a pen and a phone and a Fiat. If he announces that he is giving Gitmo back to Cuba who is going to stop it? He is CinC and can just order all the military off the base and turn the keys over to a Castro and for the civilians who might have staid behind, well, tough luck! they were told.

[batterycommander]

Why don’t we return it....to Spain...who we originally took it from. I wonder if Fidel would like them apples any better.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Or sub-lease it to the South Koreans as a sort of Caribbean Hong Kong? LOL

[P-Marlowe]

While the lease is still in effect, Cuba has not cashed any of the checks sent by the US government and they expire after 90 days. ;-) Is that cool or what?

Under common law, if the landlord does not take rent for property and the tenant lives there in adverse possession of the land for 7 years, the tenant then becomes the owner of the property.