The US military chief said on Sunday that the "war on terror" detention center in Guantanamo Bay should be shut down because of the damage it has done to the US image in the world. But there are no plans to do so, he said.
Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said no decisions have been made to close the facility and he was not aware it was even being considered because of the complex legal issues involved.
"We certainly look at this mission as an enduring mission until someone comes in and shuts it down," he said. "I have no idea how long it will be. The political leadership would have to make that decision."
He made the comments after a day of inspecting cell blocks and a maximum security courthouse being built for military trials of so-called "high value" detainees.
The new courthouse and a sprawling complex of trailers for lawyers and tents for media are scheduled to be completed by March 1, clearing the way for the first trials since the US began airlifting prisoners from Afghanistan on Jan. 11, 2002.
"This is where the 9/11 people, when they are finally charged, will be tried," an officer said as he showed Mullen the unfinished court room, pointing out a glassed-in, sound proof gallery where reporters would be able to watch but not hear when classified evidence is introduced.
Only four detainees have been formally charged, but Commander Richard Haupt, a military spokesman at Guantanamo, said more detainees will be charged in the coming months.
A fifth, Australian David Hicks, was released recently after serving out a nine-month prison term in Australia as part of a plea agreement.
The number of detainees at Guantanamo has dwindled to a low of 277 from a high of about 600 because of transfers and releases.
"The world is focused on what's going on here at Gitmo," Mullen told service members at an "all hands" meeting. "That's why we've got to get it right every single day, every single hour, every single minute."
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