'Order to close Guantanamo in first week'

Published on Tuesday 13 January 2009 00:31

BARACK Obama, the president-elect of the United States, is preparing to issue an order to close America's controversial military prison at Guantanamo Bay in his first week in office, his advisers said yesterday.

Although it is unlikely the detention facility in Cuba will be closed immediately,

Mr Obama could issue an executive order, which would start the process of deciding what to do with the estimated 250 al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects and potential witnesses being held there. Most of the prison's detainees have not been charged with a crime.

The Guantanamo directive would be one of a series of executive orders Mr Obama is planning to issue shortly after he takes office next week, according to two advisers.

They spoke on condition of anonymity as they had not been authorised to speak publicly about orders that have not been finalised. They said the executive order would direct the new administration to look at each of the cases of the Guantanamo detainees to see whether they could be released or if they should still be held, and if so where. Brooke Anderson, the spokeswoman for Mr Obama's transition team declined to comment.