Camp Iguana is a small compound in the detainment camp complex on the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Camp Iguana originally held three child detainees who camp spokesmen then claimed were the only detainees under age 16. It was closed in the winter of 2004 when the three were sent home. When the Department of Defense was forced, by US District Court Justice Jed Rakoff's court order to release the identities of all the detainees, they acknowledged that they had held dozens of minors in the adult portion of the prison. Detainees upon arrival at Camp X-Ray, January 2002 Guantánamo Bay detainment camp serves as a joint military prison and interrogation center under the leadership of Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), has occupied a portion of the United States Navys base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2002. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Map of Cuba with location of Guantánamo Bay indicated. ... The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... Judge Jed S. Rakoff Jed S. Rakoff (born 1943) is a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. ... A court order is an official proclamation by a judge (or panel of judges) that defines the legal relationships between the parties before the court and requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case. ...

Main article: minors detained in the global war on terror

In 2005 Camp Iguana was re-opened to hold some of the 38 detainees classified as "no longer enemy combatants" (a term generally understood to refer to those who actually should never have been considered enemy combatants), while they await diplomatic efforts to find them a permanent home in a country other than their country of origin or the United States. They are not being sent home to their country of origin because they are considered likely to be tortured or otherwise harmed there, and are not being allowed into the United States as a matter of U.S. government policy. The United States has disputed the number of minors detained in the global war on terror. ... NLEC is an acronym for No Longer Enemy Combatant, U.S. military term for Guantanamo captives whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal determined they should not have been classified as enemy combatants. Thirty-eight detainees were finally classified as NLECs.[1] The fifth Denbeaux report, No-hearing hearings, reported that an...

Camp Iguana is about a kilometer distant from the main facilities of Camp Delta. Part of the fence that surrounds it is not covered with an opaque barrier, so that the detainees can see the ocean from that area. The detainees have access to video games, a cooler, and a soccer field. A Camp Delta recreation and exercise area at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ...

According to an article in the London Sunday Times on June 26, 2003, the living quarters are air-conditioned and consist of "a bedroom with twin beds, a small living room with two armchairs, sofa and television, and a bathroom and kitchenette", with an oven present for aesthetic reasons, and a refrigerator whose fruit and dessert contents are reportedly handled as part of a reward system. A line of black tape on the floor separates the living room and kitchen areas while privacy in the bathroom is handled by a blue curtain.

Used to hold child detainees

Elaine Chao the U.S. Secretary of Labor has spoken about the responsibility to give child soldiers special treatment, to provide help for them to re-integrate into society.^[1] Elaine Lan Chao (Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Hsiao-lan;[1] born March 26, 1953) currently serves as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President of the United States George W. Bush. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the United States Department of Labor. ...

The Geneva Conventions would have entitled them to a prompt, open tribunal to make a fair determination of their status -- whether they should have been afforded the protection of being civilians, or POWs. If the Americans had applied the Geneva Conventions the children would not have left Afghanistan. The executive branch of the American government claimed at the time that the constitution did not allow for judicial review of the detentions, but the judicial branch over-ruled that claim, and forced the executive branch to conduct reviews. Development of the Geneva Conventions from 1864 to 1949. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In a BBC interview a young Afghan teenager named Naqibullah described being treated humanely, and receiving an education, while in Camp Iguana.^[2] The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion...

A February 2, 2004 memo, summarizing a meeting between General Geoffrey Miller and his staff and Vincent Cassard of the ICRC, addressed the juveniles mental health:^[3] February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MG Geoffrey D. Miller - former Commander JTF Guantanamo MG Geoffrey Miller honored after his retirement Geoffrey D. Miller (born c. ... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is historically a committee of Swiss nationals, although non-Swiss nationals have recently been allowed (the committee appoints new members to itself to replace those who resign or die) which leads the international Red Cross movement (often simply known after its symbol...

"Also, CDR Timby is in the process of finishing the report from the arrival and departure of the juveniles, they showed exceptional progress. 2 of the 3 came here with psychological problems and left here with none.They are looking forward to starting a life again. They were very excited to return home and were in good spirits."

In the spring of 2005 the presence of other detainees who had been held, while children, became known. A New York Times article published on June 13, 2005, said there were at least six other teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 kept within the general population.^[4] The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

...Further, the ages of the detainees brought to Guantánamo as enemy combatants cannot be determined with certainty, leaving officials to make estimates.

"They don't come with birth certificates," said Col. Brad K. Blackner, the chief public affairs officer at the detention camp. Col. David McWilliams, the chief spokesman for the United States Southern Command in Miami, which runs the prison operation, said that the authorities were fairly confident of their estimates. "We used bone scans in some cases and age was determined by medical evidence as best we could," he said.

However, in at least one case, that of Canadian detainee Omar Khadr 15 when imprisoned, American Intelligence was aware of his age, and identity. A Washington Post article from October 29, 2002 reports:^[5] This article is about the city in Florida. ... Omar Ahmed Khadr (born September 16, 1987 [some sources say September 19, 1986] in Ottawa), is a Canadian teenager who was captured by American forces in Afghanistan. ... ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

One particularly talkative prisoner there is Omar Khadr, who at sixteen is one of the youngest prisoners in U.S. custody. U.S. officials allege that on July 27 he killed a U.S. Special Forces medic, Sgt. Christopher Speer, during a four-hour, house-to-house battle in the village of Ayub Kheyl. The wounded youth was captured, taken to Bagram, treated for his wounds and interrogated.

Khadr was captured on July 27, 2002, and turned sixteen on September 16, 2002. He was fifteen when he was captured. Abdul Salam Mureef Ghaithan Al Shehri, a Saudi citizen who was fifteen when he was captured, celebrated his eighteenth birthday in Guantanamo Bay, in late April 2005.^[6] July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Abdul Salam Gaithan Mureef Al Shehry is a 16-year-old Saudi Arabian, captured in Afghanistan with the Taliban, transferred to the prison at US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ...

In an interview broadcast on the BBC on September 9, 2005, Clive Stafford Smith, a prominent British human rights lawyer who represents thirty seven Guantanamo detainees, reported that the continued incarceration of children at Guantanamo Bay was one of the triggers for the hunger strikes that had taken place during the summer of 2005. Interestingly, it has been determined by the United Nations that to forcefeed the strikers amounts to torture. Smith said that as many as twenty teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 remained imprisoned at Guantanamo, some of whom were being kept in long term solitary confinement. The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Clive Adrian Stafford Smith OBE (born July 9, 1959) is a British-born lawyer who has practised in the area of civil rights in United States of America. ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ...

Used to hold those not classified "enemy combatants"

In August 25, 2005, the Associated Press distributed a story about Camp Iguana being reopened to hold detainees whose Combatant Status Reviews had concluded that they should not have been determined to have been "enemy combatants".^[7][8] The reviews determined that thirty eight of the approximately 540 detainees were not enemy combatants. Some have been repatriated. Some of the detainees are exiles from countries that torture dissidents, and face torture if the United States were to send them home. As their status has been determined, the United States would be justified in sending them back to their home countries, however the Bush Administration has said that they decided the most humane thing to do is to allow the detainees to continue living at Camp Iguana where they are not being tortured and are, in fact, living better than most from their home countries. August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

Some detainees who were determined not to be enemy combatants were kept at Camp Iguana, while others including Sami Al Laithi continued to be detained back in Camp Delta. Sami Al Laithi is an Egyptian citizen. ... A Camp Delta recreation and exercise area at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ...

On Friday May 5, 2006 five Uighurs who had been held in Camp Iguana were transported to a refugee center in Albania just prior to a review of their writs of habeas corpus which was scheduled to be conducted the following Monday.^[9][10] These five were among a total of 15 Uighurs who were reported to have been determined not to have been "enemy combatants" despite continuing to be held at Guantanamo incarceration facilities.^[11] May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The United States held approximately two dozen Uyghurs detained in Guantanamo. ...

In a telephone interview, Abu Baker Qassim, one of the Uighurs sent to Albania, said Camp Iguana had held nine innocent detainees before their departure. The other four innocent detainees had been a Russian, an Algerian, a Libyan, and a man who had been born in Saudi Arabia to Uighur exiles. Abu Baker Qassim is a citizen of China. ...

See also

• Black site
• Asadullah Abdul Rahman
• Muhammad Ismail Agha
• List of Guantanamo Bay detainees

The salt pit in Afghanistan Black site is a military term that has been used by United States intelligence agencies to refer to any classified facility that is officially denied by the US government. ... Asadullah Abdul Rahman is a former detainee at Camp Iguana in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ... Muhammad Ismail Agha was a 14-year old al-Qaeda suspect held by U.S. forces first at Bagram Air Base and then at Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ... This list of Guantanamo Bay detainees is compiled from various sources. ...

References

1. ^ “Children in the Crossfire: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers” Speech delivered by Elaine Chao, US Secretary of Labor on May 7, 2003
2. ^ Boy praises Guantanamo jailers BBC, February 14, 2004
3. ^ ICRC Meeting 2 Feb 2004/1620 (.pdf), Department of Defense, February 2, 2004
4. ^ Some Held at Guantánamo Are Minors, Lawyers Say NY Times, June 13, 2005
5. ^ John Mintz, Detainees at Base in Cuba Yield Little Valuable Information, mirrored from Washington Post, October 29, 2002
6. ^ Saudi Arabia: Youngest Saudi Guantanamo detainee seeks bride, adnkronosinternational, May 5, 2005
7. ^ Peter Yost, Judge Asks Status of Gitmo Detainees, ABC News, August 25, 2005
8. ^ Gitmo conditions to improve, Army Times, August 11, 2005
9. ^ Guantanamo Uyghurs Try to Settle in Albania, Radio Free Asia, May 10, 2006
10. ^ Albania takes Guantanamo Uighurs, BBC, May 6, 2006
11. ^ Chinese Detainees Are Men Without a Country: 15 Muslims, Cleared of Terrorism Charges, Remain at Guantanamo With Nowhere to Go, Washington Post, August 24, 2005

Elaine Lan Chao (Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Hsiao-lan;[1] born March 26, 1953) currently serves as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President of the United States George W. Bush. ... The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the United States Department of Labor. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ABC News is a division of ABC television and radio networks (ABC), owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Army Times is a weekly newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Army and National Guard personnel and their families, providing career-related news and information as well as community and lifestyle features, educational supplements, and resource guides. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Radio Free Asia was created by the International Broadcasting Act of 1994 and began its operations in 1996. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (131st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Cuba Portal

• USA: Children among those held in Guantánamo Bay Amnesty International press release, November 20, 2003
• Boy, 12, recounts days as terror inmate: Youngest captive spent 17 months detained, a year at Guantanamo, San Francisco Chronicle, February 12, 2005
• Cuba? It was great, say boys freed from US prison camp The Guardian, June 6, 2004
• The Kids of Guantanamo Bay, June 6, 2005

• The Kids of Guantanamo Bay Clive Stafford Smith Melbourne Indymedia August 19, 2005

• Virtual 3D Walkthrough of Camp Delta with Camp Iguana (from the Art project Zone*Interdite)
• The children of Guantanamo Bay, The Independent, May 28, 2006