Guantanamo Bay

The Guantanamo Bay prison is frequently in the news. We often hear about controversy surrounding the prison, the issue of prisoner rights, and speculation on when the prison might finally be closed. One thing rarely discussed, however, is why the US has a naval base in Cuba, and when the Americans plan to leave the country. This is, after all, the only US base in the world located in a country with which the US has no diplomatic relations.

During the nineteenth century, the young United States began a period of expansionism. This included expansion to the west as the "frontier" was pushed back further and further as native peoples were wiped out or ethnically cleansed and their land seized. But the US was also interested in maintaining sole control over the Western hemisphere to the exclusion of European powers. This was formalized in the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. This stated that the US would view any attempts by Europeans to colonize land as an act of aggression, but also that the US would agree to not interfere in European affairs.

Haiti's Long Tragedy

The island of Hispaniola, which today contains the two states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, had the misfortune to be "discovered" by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The native Taíno peoples called the island by various names, including Ayiti, Bohio, and Kiskeya. The vast majority of the natives would be wiped out in the following years, succumbing to disease, murder, and slavery.

During the 17th century, the Spanish withdrew to the east of the island in order to defend their capital of Santo Domingo, and the French established colonies and took over control of the western part of the island, which they called Saint-Domingue. This is why today, the official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish and the official languages of Haiti are French and Haitian Creole (a french derivative).

Context in Yemen

Recent news reports have been focusing on the conflict in Yemen, and the potential for an escalation of US involvement. These reports, however, usually provide little historical context that might help in understanding current events. For two centuries Yemen was subjected to invasion, division and colonization. Several foreign governments have intervened militarily on behalf of different factions. These are not situations conducive to stability or peace. Hopefully, by learning from history, we can avoid past crimes and mistakes.