Guantánamo Bay's Ongoing Legacy: 15 Detainees Mark 24 Years of Controversy

The Guantánamo Bay detention center, now housing only 15 detainees, reflects shifts in U.S. policy over the past two decades. Opened by President George W. Bush in 2002 to detain individuals captured during the global war on terrorism, it was intended to serve as a facility for the “worst of the worst.” However, frozen political landscapes have hindered subsequent efforts to close the prison, with each administration facing challenges unique to its time in office.

While President Barack Obama championed the idea of closure during his time, attempts fell short due to Congressional resistance, leaving the operation intact. President Trump pondered revitalizing the center by transferring more detainees there but did not follow through. Most recently, President Biden expressed intentions to revive the closure initiative but is similarly grappling with political limitations, particularly a ban on transferring prisoners to the mainland.

The detainees presently at Guantánamo are aged between 45 and 63, hailing from various countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen, and are mostly individuals previously held in secret CIA facilities. Among them are five defendants connected to the September 11 attacks, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The legal proceedings for these cases have faced extensive delays, and until Congress reevaluates the policies surrounding prisoner transfers, the expensive operation at Guantánamo risks continuing indefinitely, possibly until the last detainee's death.