Pentagon looking for US locations to house Guantanamo detainees
Updated: 2015-08-21 10:05
(Xinhua)
|
|||||||||||
Earlier, Senator Pat Roberts, a Republican from the state of Kansas, issued blistering remarks at the Obama administration to fight against the administration's efforts to house Guantanamo detainees inside his state.
"Congress has consistently stopped Obama by law from moving a single detainee to the US," said Roberts in a statement. "Not on my watch will any terrorist be placed in Kansas."
As his presidency is entering its final stage, Obama recently launched a renewed push to fulfil one of his promises of 2008 election campaign by closing Guantanamo Bay.
According to officials familiar with the Obama administration's plan, the White House initially sought to transfer some of the 116 Guantanamo detainees to either a federal prison in Thomson, Illinois, or the naval brig in South Carolina.
However, the Justice Department later said it could not support the use of the Thomson federal prison, since former US Attorney General Eric Holder pledged publicly in 2012 that his agency would not relocate Guantanamo detainees to Thomson prison when the Justice Department purchased the prison from the state of Illinois.
The challenges of relocating part of the prison population at Guantanamo Bay have long been plaguing the Obama administration. Under the current US law, the White House is banned from spending money to move detainees to US homeland.
Meanwhile, apart from the part of Guantanamo population to be brought to the United States, whose number still remains elusive for the administration, the White House was currently struggling to clear a backlog of another 52 detainees who would be transferred home or to a third country.
The majority of the 52 prisoners come from Yemen, but as violence and terrorist attacks continue to convulse Yemen, the Obama administration would have to locate other countries willing to accommodate those prisoners.
Related Stories
Cuba expects to discuss with US return of Guantanamo Bay 2015-04-20 09:48
Raul Castro: US must return Guantanamo for normal relations 2015-01-29 10:17
Obama vows again to close Guantanamo prison 2014-12-22 10:06
Attorney-general accosted by ex-inmate of guantanamo 2014-12-12 07:46
US transfers six Guantanamo detainees to Uruguay 2014-12-08 20:20
Senate mulls to send more Guantanamo detainees home 2013-12-20 10:00
Today's Top News
No cyanide detected from Tianjin river section with fish deaths
Greek PM to resign, seek snap election in September
Britain to reopen embassy in Tehran this weekend
Chemical plants to be relocated in blast zone
IMF to extend current SDR basket until September 2016
China-Russia joint military drill no reason for concern
Rebels in Ukraine's Donetsk plan referendum on joining Russia: media
Man in yellow shirt is Bangkok bomber: Police
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Tianjin blasts: Death, damage and bravery |
NE China: From powerhouse to poor relation |
Worlds apart in a different class |
Road map points way for new industrial cluster |
Plan to teach pupils practical skills welcome |
Civility strikes back |