The population at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is down to 136 — the lowest since shortly after it opened in 2002 — as President Obama tries to look for ways to fulfill his pledge upon entering office to close the facility, a move Republicans on Capitol Hill have opposed.
The AP reported that half of the current population has been cleared for transfer and at least five more are supposed to be moved by the end of the year.
Mr. Obama reportedly vented to senior administration officials about efforts to close it at a Nov. 19 meeting. Administration officials told the AP that his frustrations at the meeting were primarily directed at outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel because Mr. Hagel had been reluctant to sign off on guarantees that certain detainees would not pose security threats.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck P. McKeon is one Republican who has has raised an alarm about the uptick in notification of pending releases from the facility.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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