WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama could close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention center sooner if the US government improved oversight of the Periodic Review Board (PRB), which clears detainees for transfer, Close Guantanamo co-founder Andy Worthington told Sputnik.
"It is crucial to do that [improve PRB oversight] because it’s obviously going to approve more people for release," Worthington said on Monday.
Reducing the number of detainees the US government categorizes as dangerous, but lacks enough evidence to try, will bolster the argument for closing Guantanamo, Worthington added.
Guantanamo’s operational costs per prisoner increases with each transfer, he explained, thereby supporting President Barack Obama’s case that it is too costly to maintain.
Monday marked the 14th anniversary since the first inmate arrived at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Despite President Obama’s promise to close the facility prior to leaving office, 103 prisoners still remain there.
