Guantanamo Bay is a United States Navy base located in southeastern Cuba It is one of the most controversial military installations in the world, and has been the subject of much debate for decades. The base serves as a detention center for individuals suspected of terrorism, and has been the site of numerous human rights violations and controversial interrogations of prisoners. In addition, the United States has been accused of operating a “black site” at Guantanamo Bay, the purpose of which is to conduct covert operations without scrutiny.
Given the amount of attention Guantanamo Bay has attracted, it is likely a popular topic of discussion among students in classrooms around the world. To ensure that students understand all aspects of the issue, essay topics related to Guantanamo Bay could be used to encourage further exploration. Here are five examples of essay topics related to Guantanamo Bay:
1. The Immutability of International Humanitarian Law: Discuss whether or not international humanitarian laws apply to prisoners of Guantanamo Bay, and whether they are sufficient to protect those prisoners from mistreatment.
2. Guantanamo Bay and the War on Terror: Explore the role of Guantanamo Bay in the War on Terror, and how its use of interrogations and detention techniques have shifted over time.
3. Guantanamo Bay and the Right to a Fair Trial: Analyze the implications of the fact that none of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay have ever been afforded a fair trial and discuss whether this constitutes a violation of human rights.
4. The Legitimacy of the U.S. Presence in Guantanamo Bay: Discuss the legality of the U.S. presence in Guantanamo Bay, and analyze how international norms and laws are applicable to what is happening there.
5. “Rendition” and Guantanamo Bay: Examine the phenomenon of “rendition” – the practice of secretly transferring individuals suspected of terrorist activities to a foreign country – and its connection to the use of Guantanamo Bay as a detention center.