Military bases and embassies, contrary to popular opinion, don't count as American soil, though they're close.

The country hosting the base agrees that her laws don't apply within the base, but the base is still on her land, that she owns, because it's hers, in her country.

This is called extraterritoriality, and it isn't unique to the United States, but it's notable with her because of its frequency and in one case Guantanamo Bay Cuba contention. The short

version of this story is Cuba used to be a US territory taken after the Spanish

American War with Puerto Rico and Guam and Spain's pride. Cuba eventually went her

own way but the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay stayed where it was and the

US paid to rent the land.

But then, revolution and disagreement between Cuba and the US over the rent, leading to the current awkward situation where the US says to Cuba,

thank you for renting us this land, and Cuba says, we didn't rent you that land, and the US says,

here's our rent payment, and Cuba says, we don't accept that, please leave.

And the US says, thank you for renting us this land.