U.S.

Obama's Plan To Close Gitmo Includes Moving Prisoners To US Soil

Congress barred the president from transferring prisoners to the U.S. last year.

Obama's Plan To Close Gitmo Includes Moving Prisoners To US Soil
The White House
SMS

President Obama just announced a plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison, and it includes sending prisoners to the U.S.

"This is about closing a chapter in our history. It reflects the lessons that we've learned since 9/11," Obama said.

There are 91 prisoners currently at the prison, and of those, 35 are cleared for transfer to a third-party country.

For the rest who cannot be transferred or are subject to military commission proceedings, Obama is proposing bringing them to a facility in the U.S.

Republicans in the House and Senate overwhelmingly oppose any plan that includes moving those prisoners to U.S. soil.

This video includes images from Getty Images and The White House.