Why does Castro allow US occupation of his island?

[IntravenousDemilo]

What on earth are Americans doing at Guantanamo anyway? Why hasn't Castro kicked them the hell out of Cuba by now? Any other country would find this state of affairs intolerable. Do you think the US would stand for it if we opened a Canadian Armed Forces base just outside Seattle?

[wakeme2008]

1. 99 year Lease that Castro respects

That was signed before he was in power.

[IntravenousDemilo]

4. When does it run out? n/m

[adwon]

6. It's not 99 years

It's perpetual.

[tritsofme]

5. The lease is actually perpetual

Both sides have to agree to withdraw before it becomes null.

[IntravenousDemilo]

8. Unlike, say, the ABM treaty with the Russians,

which was unilaterally abrogated by the United States?

[tritsofme]

10. I understand your point.

And the treaty on its face probably isn't valid under the Geneva Conventions.

I was just replying to the poster that incorrectly stated it was a 99 year lease.

[Igel]

23. The ABM treaty contained a provision for unilateral withdrawal with

advance notification.

[tsuki]

9. It is a perpetual lease signed in 1903 that must be terminated by both

parties. We pay Cuba $4000+ a year for the 45 square miles. Castro asked for the return of Gitmo in 1959, we refused. Castro does not cash the checks as a protest. He has over 40 of them.

[IntravenousDemilo]

12. Anything stopping him from raising the rent?

You know, to $100,000,000 per annum or something like that? Or is it rent-controlled?

[adwon]

13. The lease has to end

and it's perpetual...:P

[tsuki]

16. I heard it was rent controlled, but since Castro wants the land

back, it would look strange for him to want more money that he does not cash.

The orginal amount was in gold coins, but after the depression was the gold was converted to cash. That is the only increase that I know of.

[don954]

17. I would get a US lawyer to make the argument that they owe the

ammount now equal to the gold coins of 1903....!

[IntravenousDemilo]

18. The first 40-odd cheques would be stale-dated by now anyway.

But if he did up the rent to $100,000,000, I'd hope he would cash that one for the benefit of Cubans.

Of course, it might come back NSF, in which case an eviction notice would be in order.

[tsuki]

19. I google to make sure about the rent. Problem is, Castro cashed

the first check, which the US says, is acceptance of the lease agreement.

He uses them to show foreign dignitaries.

[LynnTheDem]

2. Gitmo Bay

is under a 1905 lease to the USA (Platt Ammendment). A 1934 treaty confirmed the lease.

Castro to date has only ever cashed 1 of America's lease payments.

Cubans are very unhappy with US being at Gitmo but... hey, the Japanese and the S Koreans want us the hell out of their countries for years now too, and we're still there.

And for the rightwingnut morans;

The UN is not on US territory, even tho it's in New York. The land the UN sits on is NOT US territory.

[lpbk2713]

20. Don't forget Germany. WW II has been over for 60 years.

And yet if you look at a map of Germany with US installations indicated we still cover Germany like a bad rash.

[adwon]

3. A thought

It would take force that he doesn't possess. Attacking Guantanamo would be a ready-made reason to start up the assassination game again and he knows it.

[Perky]

7. umm no

Attacking Gitmo would be a cause for war not assasination.

[adwon]

11. Remember day one of this war?

How did it start? :P

Castro would be lucky to see the end of the war is what I meant.

[B Calm]

14. Speaking as a Navy Vet who has been to Gitmo several times, I

think it's a waste of money and needs to be shut down.

[leveymg]

15. This is the sole reason:

[K-W]

22. Seriously, Castro and what army is going to evict the US?

Castro respects Gitmo because he doesnt have a choice in the matter.

[1932]

21. Probably part of Cuban Missile Crisis deal.

Russia pulled the missiles out, Cuba will never be invaded by the US, and the US gets to keep the base.

[one_true_leroy]

24. some governments still respect international treaties...

how quaint, huh?