Obama May Close Guantanamo In A Year-Draft Order

U.S. President Barack Obama would order the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be closed within one year if he signs a draft order obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

His administration would also start an immediate review on how to deal with the remaining prisoners, the order shows.

Obama had pledged during his election campaign to shut down the Guantanamo prison camp. The camp had been seen as a stain on the United States human rights record and a symbol of detainee abuse and detention without charge under the Bush administration.

The unsigned draft calls for a series of reviews on the status of the prisoners at Guantanamo and the military commissions set up to try them. The review will also investigate transferring prisoners to facilities in the United States.

"The detention facilities at Guantanamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order," the draft said.

Anyone covered by the order who is still in detention when the prison is closed "shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility", the draft said.

A senior U.S. official said Obama was unlikely to sign and issue the order on his first day in office. It is expected soon, however. The draft includes January in the dateline but leaves the day of signature open.

The order says it is in the United States' foreign policy and national security interests to close the controversial prison and deal with the remaining prisoners.