Obama presents plan to close Guantanamo prison

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday presented a long-awaited roadmap to close the controversial US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying it was time to shutter a facility that betrayed US interests and values. With less than a year left in office, Obama unveiled a plan that says the US should continue to transfer low-risk detainees to other countries and which describes how 13 possible replacement facilities could save the US taxpayer millions of dollars each year. “For many years, it’s been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security. It undermines it,” Obama said in a White House address. “This is about closing a chapter in our history. It reflects the lessons that we’ve learned since 9/11 — lessons that need to guide our nation going forward.” A total of 91 suspected jihadists remain at Guantanamo, a prison that once housed about 700 inmates at its peak and has become synonymous around the world with torture, indefinite detention and orange jumpsuits. AFP