Gates’ team working to shut down Guantanamo

The Pentagon is working on a plan to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who first called for the camps closure 18 months ago, has asked his staff to work out what to do with the inmates.

Closing down the camp was one of the campaign priorities of Gates’ soon-to-be new boss, President-elect Barack Obama.

There is already talk of a new way to try those considered most dangerous

Glenn Sulmasy, a law professor at Harvard university said: “A national security court would provide a hybrid, for the hybrid warriors who are fighting a hybrid war. This would be a hybrid court with a mixture of our own article 3 courts and our military courts. The key differences are that we would have civilian oversight. It would no longer be military officers or the Department of Defence overseeing these cases.”

Around 250 detainees are still left at Guantanamo living under a punishing regime. About half could face trial.

Any plans could involve them being moved to the United States, something which the Bush administration has strongly resisted.

Others are likely to be returned to their home countries, or other countries willing to accept them.