Guantánamo

ON THE BASE

Guantánamo suffered ‘minimal damage’ from Isaac’s splash

 
 

A GOES-13 infrared satellite image of Tropical Storm Isaac provided by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, Calif., shows the storm at 1:00 a.m. EST. Isaac is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and impact the Gulf Coast of the United States Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
A GOES-13 infrared satellite image of Tropical Storm Isaac provided by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, Calif., shows the storm at 1:00 a.m. EST. Isaac is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and impact the Gulf Coast of the United States Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
U.S. Navy photo / US NAVY

crosenberg@miamiherald.com

Life at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, resumed its routine Monday after a three-day disruption while the base hunkered down for what in the end amounted to a drive-by from Tropical Storm Isaac — and a big splash.

Detainees relocated to hurricane-proof buildings were back in their coastal lockups, said the detention center’s Navy Capt. Robert Durand, a spokesman. The 168 captives live in an array of five prison camps plus the detention center hospital and psych ward.

Before Isaac swerved north and away from the base, the military moved to hurricane-proof buildings those detainees and troops who are usually housed in certain sea-front lockups and trailer parks.

The Pentagon also canceled this month’s pre-trial hearings in the Sept. 11 terror case, postponing alleged mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed’s next court date until Oct. 15-19.

Damage to the crude war court compound overlooking Guantánamo Bay and the sprawling prison camps complex overlooking the Caribbean was “minimal,” Durand said. Troops found “pools of water on roadways, minor leaks and seepage but no major storm damage.’’

“We are back to routine operations,’’ he said midday Monday by email.

Beaches were still closed across the 45-square-mile Navy base because of rough seas.

But the base’s social director announced on Facebook that there would be Bingo at a hall adjacent to the Irish pub on Tuesday night. The open-air base cinema was reopened as well. The nightly free-of-charge movie for troops and their families Monday night was Adam Sandler’s R-rated comedy, That’s My Boy.

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