Pentagon looking for alternatives to GITMO

Washington, Jan.14 (ANI): The Pentagon is looking at several military bases in the U.S. as possible sites to hold terrorist suspects now at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including Camp Pendleton in San Diego and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback told The Washington Times that an internal Pentagon study named Fort Leavenworth among other locations.

Fort Leavenworth is the site of a military training program for foreign military officers. Brownback, however, said he feared the presence of Guantanamo prisoners would destroy the program.

Brownback said the Pentagon study group was tasked with finding a place that is available to move detainees as soon as the incoming administration of Barack Obama announces its plans.

Obama has pledged to close the detention facility at Guantanamo, which has become an open sore for the U.S. in its relations with other nations, especially in the Islamic world.

House Armed Services Committee spokeswoman Lara Battles said there have been growing concerns in Congress over bringing 274 prisoners now being held at Guantanamo.

Locations under discussion have included foreign military bases like Bagram in Afghanistan, in addition to Camp Pendleton and Fort Leavenworth. (ANI)