OBAMA TO DO ‘EVERYTHING POSSIBLE’ TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO

U.S. President Barack Obama (Photo : Anadolu Agency)" width="307" height="208" /> U.S. President Barack Obama (Photo : Anadolu Agency)

Washington, 29 Safar 1436H/22 December 2014M (MINA) – U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will do “everything possible” in order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center during his last two years of in office.

On Saturday, the United States sent back home four Afghan detainees from Guantanamo.

“I’m going to be doing everything I can to close it,” Obama told CNN’s Sunday Morning news show, which was recorded Friday, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Monday.

“It is something that continues to inspire jihadists and extremists around the world, the fact that these folks are being held,” he said.

Also Read: Brussels Parliament Calls for Sanctions Against Israel

Guantanamo was opened during the administration of George W. Bush in 2002 to detain “extraordinarily dangerous persons” in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The detention center, where 132 inmates still remain, is highly criticized by human rights organizations.

Obama vowed to close the facility during his election campaign in 2008 but his plans suffered a major setback in December 2010 when Congress voted in favor of a bill that made it harder for him to move detainees out of the Cuba prison.

“It is contrary to our values and it is wildly expensive. We’re spending millions for each individual there. And we have drawn down the population there significantly,” Obama said. (T/P002/R03)

Also Read: US, Russia Agree to Establish Consultation Mechanism to Ease Tensions

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

Also Read: 90 American and International Organizations Reject Trump’s Plan over Gaza