Biden administration says it intends to close Guantanamo prison

[dalton99a]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/12/politics/biden-guantanamo-bay/index.html

Biden administration says it intends to close Guantanamo prison
By Ellie Kaufman, CNN
Updated 6:04 PM ET, Fri February 12, 2021

(CNN) The Biden administration intends to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, which houses approximately 40 prisoners, by the end of their term.

When asked by a reporter during a press briefing on Friday if the prison would be closed by the time President Joe Biden leaves office, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, "That's certainly our goal and our intention."

Psaki said the National Security Council is undertaking an inter-agency review to "assess the state of play that the Biden administration has, that we've inherited from the previous administration."

Former President Barack Obama made a campaign promise in 2008 to close the facility by the end of his administration, which was never realized. Former President Donald Trump kept the facility open, signing an executive order in 2018 to do so.

Department of Defense spokesperson John Kirby signaled Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's support for closing the detention facility on Friday.