-
A closed-off area at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. - Source: Reuters -
Related
A key report ordered by US President Barack Obama as part of his
effort to close the internationally condemned Guantanamo prison
will be delayed six months, but officials insisted they were still
on track to shut it down by January.
Amid divisions between the administration and lawmakers over the
fate of Guantanamo inmates, Obama aides said a task force crafting
a new policy on terrorism detainees would miss its Tuesday deadline
for offering its full recommendations.
Instead, the government panel issued an interim report late on
Monday that provided an overview of the options, including
prosecution in US civilian courts and by military commission or the
transfer of suspects to other countries.
A separate government task force reviewing detainee interrogation
rules also fell short of its Tuesday deadline and was granted an
extra two months to submit a final report.
Obama has promised to close the prison at a US Navy base in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January, saying it had damaged the United
States' moral standing in the world.
But the delays could signal the difficulties he faces meeting
that pledge.
The prison was opened under former President George Bush after the
September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and has drawn
international criticism for holding prisoners indefinitely, many
without charge.
About 230 inmates remain.
Though postponement of the two reports could raise questions about
Obama's timetable, officials said the administration remained
committed to his target date for shuttering Guantanamo - within a
year of his inauguration this year.
"Are we on target to meet the deadline?" one official said at a
briefing for reporters. "The answer is yes."
More time to consult Congress
Officials said extensions were sought - and granted - in order to
conduct the most comprehensive reviews possible as well as to
consult thoroughly with Congress.
"These are hard, complicated, consequential decisions," an aide
said.
Obama has faced strong opposition from lawmakers, including those
in his own Democratic party, to transferring Guantanamo prisoners
to US soil for detention and trial.
In May, Congress demanded a detailed plan on closing Guantanamo
before they would grant him the necessary funds to do it.
Obama, who ordered an end to harsh interrogation of terrorism
suspects within days of taking office, has insisted some will be
tried in US courts while others will be tried by military
commissions or transferred to other countries.
But Mitch McConnell, leader of the Republican minority in the US
Senate, said it had become increasingly clear over time that the
administration announced its intent to close (Guantanamo) without a
plan.
Government lawyers have completed reviews of about half of the
detainees and have decided to transfer substantially more than 50
of them to other countries and prosecute a significant number of
others, an official said.
Another official said Washington was making headway getting
countries in Europe and elsewhere to accept prisoners, though some
did not want any publicity on the subject.
So far, however, only a small number have been taken in by other
governments, including Saudi Arabia, Chad, Iraq and Bermuda.
The prison has long been the target of criticism by rights groups
and some foreign governments, which accused the Bush administration
of condoning torture of inmates held there.
The five-page interim report issued on Monday said prosecution must
occur as soon as possible but asserted that justice cannot be done
unless the accused are given a full and fair opportunity to contest
the charges against them.
