<snip>


The Guantánamo Bay Naval Station is located in an isolated area at the
southeastern tip of the island of Cuba. The U.S. Navy has maintained a
presence at Guantánamo since 1903, when the area was acquired as a coaling
and naval station. The original lease agreement signed between U.S.
President Theodore Roosevelt and Cuban President Estrada Palma gave the
United States "the right to exercise complete jurisdiction and control
within and over the area. In turn, the U.S. recognized the ultimate
sovereignty of Cuba over the leased areas." This original agreement was
reaffirmed by a treaty signed in 1934 by President Franklin Roosevelt.

The lease on the Guantánamo property is perpetual, with no termination date
or fixed number of years. The land can revert to Cuban control only if
abandoned or by mutual agreement, neither of which has occurred. Fidel
Castro's assumption of power in Cuba in 1959 did not change the status of
the Guantánamo Bay base; the naval station may be the only permanent
overseas U.S. presence within a country that U.S. foreign policy regards as
hostile.

<end snip>


full article at: http://www.ciponline.org/facts/gitmo.htm

I have not found anything as to what castro things because I have not looked
at the moment.

As for what the average cuban person thinks, that would depend on who the
cuban government would allow you to ask. The one supplied by the cuban
government, the one on the raft coming to the USA, the one dying in a prison
because they said the wrong thing, a starvin person on a street corner or
the one in the government sponsored home.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Johnson, Tracy" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 4:36 PM
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT: A sobering answer


Wayne R. Boyer wrote:

> For a bit of history - why is there a US base in Cuba?  What
> does Fidel think
> of that? What does your average Cuban think of that?
> Perhaps Mr. Powell
> could help with that in respect to "empire building".
> Perhaps Mr. Powell
> needs a history book or two to add to his library?
>
> Wayne

Simplistic answer:  No, Powell was a Geology graduate!
Why would he want a History book?  ;^)

Complex answer:  My guess is that Colin Powell was and is
well versed on the strategic and legal implications of the
U.S. Base in Cuba.  One doesn't go through a U.S. Army career
pipeline and make General without going through the Army War
and Staff Colleges where exactly this item is discussed.

Tracy Johnson

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