Obama considers indefinite prison for Gitmo detainees

The White House is considering whether to issue an executive order to indefinitely imprison a small number of Guantanamo Bay detainees, concerned that the US Congress might otherwise stymie its plans to quickly close the naval prison in Cuba.

Under the proposal, detainees considered too dangerous to prosecute or release would be kept in confinement, officials said.

Otherwise, the White House could get bogged down for months seeking agreement with Congress on a new legal detention system.

No final decisions have been made about the order, which would be the fourth major mandate by President Barack Obama to deal with how the US treats and prosecutes terror suspects and foreign fighters.

One of the officials said the order, if issued, would not take effect until after the October 1 start of the 2010 US fiscal year.

Already, Congress has blocked the administration from spending money this year to imprison the detainees in the US – which in turn could slow or even halt Mr Obama’s pledge to close the prison by January 21.

The administration also is considering asking Congress to pass new laws that would allow the indefinite detentions, the official said.

Christopher Anders, senior legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Washington office, says the organisation strongly opposes any plans for indefinite detention of prisoners.

“We’re saying it shouldn’t be done at all,” he said.

There are 229 detainees currently being held at Guantanamo. So far, 11 are expected to be tried in military tribunals, and at least one – Ahmed Ghailani, a Tanzanian accused in two American embassy bombings a decade ago – has been transferred to the US for prosecution by a civilian federal court.