Pentagon draws up plans for Guantanamo closure
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has ordered aides to prepare a plan for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, in expectation that Mr Obama will take action soon after moving into the White House next month.
A Pentagon spokesman said Mr Gates was anticipating orders to shut down the base, in keeping with promises made by President-Elect Barack Obama during his election campaign.
"The request has been made, his team is working on it so he can be prepared to assist the president-elect should he wish to address this very early in his tenure," said Geoff Morrell, the spokesman.
Opened in 2002, the prison has long been a stain on America's reputation for human rights and fairness. But closing it will entail numerous difficulties.
Mr Obama's likely first step will be suspending the military trials set up by George W Bush, which have been widely criticized for their lack of judicial rigour.
A new court would then have to be created on the US mainland for up to 80 terror suspects the Pentagon has yet to put on trial at the US naval base in Cuba.
They would almost certainly include five detainees charged in relation to the September 11 attacks, whose trial has yet to start in earnest.
Another 120 inmates have been cleared for release, but have not been accepted by their home countries or neutral countries.
