Præsident Barack Obama vil sætte en ny politisk kampagne igang for at få lukket fængslet for angivelge terrorister på USAs Guantanamo-base i Cuba, samtidig med, at flere af fangerne er gået i sultestrejke.
Mr Obama said the detention centre was “contrary to who we are” and harmful to US interests, BBC online reports Tuesday.
He cited recent convictions (domme) of terror suspects to argue the civilian justice system was adequate for such trials.
Congress has blocked efforts to close the prison, but Mr Obama said he would renew discussions with lawmakers.
Mr Obama has asked a team of officials to review operations at Guantanamo Bay.
“It is inefficient, it hurts us in terms of our international standing, it lessens co-operation with our allies on counter-terrorism efforts, it is a recruitment tool for extremists, it needs to be closed,” Mr Obama said.
He said that with the war in Iraq over and detention authority in Afghanistan transferred to Afghan forces, the facility in Cuba was no longer necessary.
The president’s comments come amid a hunger strike that has spread in recent weeks to include more than 100 of the 166 inmates at the facility.
They are protesting against their indefinite detention. Most are being held without charge (at være anklaget).
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has said Guantanamo Bay should be shut immediately.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, the only agency with access to individual detainees, says there is now an unprecedented level of desperation at Guantanamo,
