Monday, December 27, 2010




'US not to close Gitmo in near future'

Guantanamo Bay detention center
 
The White House says the US administration will not be able to close Guantanamo Bay detention center in the near future despite President Barack Obama's promise. 

"It's certainly not going to close in the next month. I think it's going to be a while before that prison closes," CNN quoted White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs as saying on Sunday.

Gibbs also suggested that the recent influx of Republicans in Congress could make fulfilling closing the prison more difficult.


"I think part of this depends on the Republicans' willingness to work with the administration on this," he said.


About one year has passed since Obama's self-imposed deadline to shut down Guantanamo.


Legal and legislative hurdles have prevented Obama's goal to be realized in the near future, according to the White House.


Of the 174 detainees remaining in the prison, only three have been formally tried and found guilty.


After the US president promised to close the detention center at the end of his first year in office, he is now about to issue an Executive Order that formalizes indefinite detention without trial for Guantanamo detainees.


The US Congress passed legislation last week that will effectively bar the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to America to be tried in a court of law.


International Red Cross inspectors and released detainees have described acts of torture, including sleep deprivation, beatings and confinement in small, cold cells.


Human rights groups have also argued that indefinite detention constitutes torture. One of the allegations of abuse at the US camp is the abuse of the religion of the inmates.


MSD/AGB/MGH

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