Guantanamo Bay EVACUATED as base prepares to be hit by colossal Hurricane Matthew
The Caribbean’s biggest storm in nearly a decade is on a collision course with the controversial facility which is home to 6,000 people
THE US Navy is evacuating its controversial base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as the notorious prison is set to be smashed by Hurricane Matthew.
The category four storm is on a collision course with the detention facility - which is home to 6,000 people including 61 prisoners.
And authorities have confirmed that 700 people will be flown out of the base before the 150 mph winds hit.
However officials have revealed that there are no plans to move the facility’s detainees - many of whom are dangerous terrorists.
The evacuees will mainly be made up of families of military personnel, including their children and pets, who will be flown to a “safe haven” in Pensacola, Florida.
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Hurricane Matthew is the most powerful storm in the Caribbean since 2007 and is expected to brush past Jamaica before barrelling into southwest Haiti and eastern Cuba where Guantanamo is located.
In anticipation of the colossal storm making a direct hit with the base on Tuesday, Navy Captain David Culpepper told residents about the evacuation in a live radio broadcast on Saturday afternoon, reports the .
He said: “We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
“Things are kind of in motion here at this point. We are trying to execute the most prudent plan given what we know.”
Julie Ripley, the Guantánamo base spokeswoman, announced the “mandatory evacuation” of “all non-essential personnel.”
She said: “This includes dependants, school-aged children, special needs families, and their pets.”
The base is staffed by around 2,000 temporary troops and contractors but also has military personnel and their families living there as permanent residents.
While speaking at the facility, Navy Captain John Filostrat did not respond to questions from the media the strength of the buildings holding the prisoners.
The structural integrity of Camp 7, which holds some of the planet’s most ruthless criminals including six former CIA prisoners awaiting death penalty trials, has been questioned in the past.
In May, Navy Rear Admiral Peter Clarke labelled the facility “structurally safe” after retired Marine General John F. Kelly told Congress it was “increasingly unsustainable due to drainage and foundation issues” two years ago.
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