Washington – The U.S. would be delighted to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but cannot until settling the fate of “hundreds of dangerous people” held there, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.
“We cannot be in a situation in which we are just turning loose on helpless populations or unprotected populations people who have vowed to kill more Americans if they’re released,” Rice said on “Fox News Sunday.”
About 460 suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters are incarcerated at the Cuban prison camp; most have been held for more than four years without charges. President Bush has said he is waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on whether inmates can face military tribunals before he considers whether to close the facility.
A U.N. panel said Friday the indefinite detention of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo violates the world’s ban on torture.
