Democrats hope to close GuantanamoBy ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - House Democrats want to cut President Bush's
budget for Guantanamo Bay prison in half, beating the
administration to the punch in shutting down the facility for
terror detainees.
The White House says Bush has already decided to close the
U.S. prison in Cuba and transfer more than 370 terrorism
suspects elsewhere, possibly including the maximum-security
military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
The prison, which began housing terror suspects five years ago,
has become a focus for criticism of the Bush administration at
home and abroad. Only a few detainees have been selected for
trial, leaving the majority in legal limbo and barred from
protesting their detentions in court.
With no timetable announced by Bush, Congress is moving ahead
on its own. In July, the House Appropriations Committee is
expected to propose funding only half of Guantanamo's budget in
the military's annual spending bill.
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