ANOMALOUS ZONES

Governments occasionally suspend fundamental norms within a territoria lly limited enclave in response to perceived necessity. Professor Neum an refers to such enclaves as ''anomalous zones'' and explains the den ial of constitutional rights to Haitian and Cuban refugees detained at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as an example of this phenomenon. He examin es at length two other examples, the formalized toleration of prostitu tion in legal red light districts, and the disenfranchisement of the D istrict of Columbia. He infers from these examples that anomalous zone s unleash a subversive potential that extends beyond their designated boundaries and their original purposes. Viewing Guantanamo from this p erspective provides further confirmation of the dangers of anomalous z ones.