President unveils plan to close Guantanamo Bay detention center

“This legislation will bring much needed public scrutiny to the administration’s mad rush to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo Bay before President Obama leaves office”, Royce said in a statement.

“It’s counterproductive to our fight against terrorists, because they use it as propaganda in their efforts to recruit”, Obama said.

US President Barack Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden (left) and Defence Secretary Ash Carter (right) discusses administration plans to close the Guantanamo military prison.

It houses 91 inmates, 35 of whom are eligible for a transfer, and about 2,000 US personnel at an annual operating cost of $180 million.

However, seven years later, he is finally presenting a plan on how he will go about doing it.

Thomson Correctional Center, in Thomson, Ill., was ordered by the president to be prepared to accept transferred Guantanamo prisoners in 2009.

“These are literally enemy combatants”, he said, adding he would ship terrorists straight to Guantanamo “to find out what they know”. “Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values”, he said Tuesday.

“Even in an election year we should be able to have an open, honest good faith dialogue about how to ensure our national security”.

Previous year alone, the country spent $450 million to keep it running, which Obama said proves the facility drains military resources. “It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law”.

The report looked at existing facilities in South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado, as well as new facilities at unnamed military bases across the country. “I don’t want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is”.

President Obama is trying to keep good on his promise to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

However, the plan drew immediate criticism from Republicans in Congress, including McCain, who now serves as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The criticism, however, is not stopping the president from putting his plan before Congress.

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., said the current Defense Authorization Act prohibits the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S.