Guantanamo Bay, the prison infamous for reports of prisoner abuse, torture, and illegal interrogation methods, might finally be shut down. President Obama announced on his first day in office that the closing of Guantanamo Bay was a top priority, but he and his administration have so far been frustrated by the lack of progress on that front. However, the New York Times reports that the Pentagon's finalized plans for closing the prison are expect in the coming weeks.
Part of the delay in closing Guantanamo Bay has been due to logistics—112 detainees are held there, and if the prison closes, Congress must approve new prisons to house them. Given Congress' history of stalemates and sluggish decisions, the Times says getting congressional approval is "unlikely."
Nevertheless, the Pentagon's plan includes a list of prisons in Colorado, South Carolina, and Kansas that it considers fit to house Guantanamo detainees. It also evaluates advantages and disadvantages for each prison, including, "locations, costs for renovations and construction, and the ability to house troops and hold military commission hearings and healthcare facilities."
Of the 112 detainees, 53 are eligible to be transferred. The rest are either up for trail or deemed too dangerous to be released but not facing charges. To approve a transfer, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has to determine that prisoners won't take up terrorism once they're released, and that their host countries are willing to receive and detain them. The whole thing will probably come down to a messy legal battle between the Obama administration and politicians who oppose the plan. Obama's time is running out, so it remains to be seen whether the prison really will close while he's in office.
