Since John McCain's birthplace which is a US miliary base in Panama is considered part of the US is the US military base at Guantanamo Bay also part of the US?

Answer 1

Of course it is. The Cuban flag does not fly there, but Old Glory does.

No, Guantanamo is NOT part of the United States. It is Cuban territory, leased to the United States under a long-term lease agreement (though Cuba contests the validity of the lease).

U.S. military bases are NOT part of the U.S. - they are part of whichever country/territory/etc. they reside in. Flying the flag there is irrelevant - just as irrelevant as if someone flew a flag of Another Country outside their house. Legally, military bases are just leased land (though, in most cases, the lease stipulates that the U.S. retains jurisdiction inside the base), and that does NOT change sovereignty. Embassies (NOT INCLUDING consulates) are a special exception in international law, in that they are considered sovereign soil of the country situated on them. All other foreign institutions on a country's soil do NOT change soverignty.

In John McCain's case, the salient fact is NOT that he was born on a military base, but that he was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which was officially U.S. territory at the time (via congressional legislation designating it so), and thus, he is considered a natural-born citizen (and eligible for the Presidency).

To make this more clear - legally, a child born inside a U.S. military base on foreign soil is NOT automatically entitled to U.S. citizenship via the 14th Amendment.