Bush said to be mulling Gitmo's fate

WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush will decide soon whether to close Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a prison for terrorism suspects, administration officials said.

Discussions among top White House advisers picked up last week following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said Guantanamo Bay detainees have access to federal courts, ABC News said.

Sources confirmed to ABC News Bush is expected to be briefed on issues surrounding Guantanamo Bay detainees in light of the court's ruling and may reach a decision before he leaves Saturday to attend the G8 summit in Japan. However, an announcement was not expected before he departs.

High-level administration officials say the court's decision that allows detainees to challenge their detentions in civilian court raises questions about whether the government has solid evidence to present to federal judges to justify the imprisonment.

The Bush administration is in general agreement that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should close, ABC News said, but the Supreme Court ruling may accelerate the shuttering. Among issues to be resolved is where to house the approximately 260 detainees at the facility.