Though US President Barack Obama pledged to close Guantanamo Bay offshore detention centre in Cuba upon taking office, as time runs out on h...
Though US President Barack Obama pledged to close Guantanamo Bay offshore detention centre in Cuba upon taking office, as time runs out on his administration that almost certainly will not happen.
Although the number of inmates has dropped to 59 from a high of 680 in 2003, fresh construction at the facility suggests the prison will not shut down any time soon.
The US military is building an $8.4bn medical clinic inside a recently vacated prison unit to eliminate the need to transport detainees to the base's existing one.
The government is also building a $12.4 million dining facility for troops who work at the prison and seeking the funds for better housing.
What's next for Guantanamo?
The prison's future will then be up to president-elect Donald Trump, who has said he would prefer to keep it open and even "load it up with some bad dudes" after he takes office on January 20.
Officials at the base say they have available cells and could potentially expand.
The US opened Guantanamo to hold alleged "terrorists" suspected of ties to al-Qaeda and Taliban in the aftermath of the deadly September 11, 2001 attacks.
Most were never charged with a crime. Indefinite detentions, combined with the mistreatment of prisoners in the early days of the prison, prompted global criticism.
Of the 59 prisoners, 22 have been cleared for release and some are expected to be transferred out in the final weeks of the administration.
