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Obama blames Congress for not closing Guantánamo

Associated Press
A cooperative captive is seen through one-way glass inside a communal cellblock at Camp 6, at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, in this photo approved for release by the U.S. military.
A cooperative captive is seen through one-way glass inside a communal cellblock at Camp 6, at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, in this photo approved for release by the U.S. military. WALTER MICHOT MIAMI HERALD STAFF
WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama says that he has been unable to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, because of “congressional restrictions.”

In a news conference Monday ahead of his final overseas trip as president, Obama said he still would prefer to have Guantánamo inmates transferred to a facility under U.S. jurisdiction, saying, “we’d do it a lot cheaper. And just as safely.”

He hailed efforts to bring down the number of inmates, but with regard to transferring those inmates, he said, “Congress disagrees with me, and I gather the president-elect does as well.”

President-elect Donald Trump has said it would be “fine” to try Americans suspected of terrorism at Guantánamo Bay, if possible, and has raised concern about decreasing the number of inmates.

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Obama blames Congress for not closing Guantánamo."

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