Bush to leave Gitmo closure to successor

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush will leave a decision to shut the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison camp to his successor, current and former officials say.

The decision follows the administration's rejection of options U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates presented to the White House earlier this year for closing the controversial center, The Financial Times reports.

Bush said in 2006 he wanted to close Guantanamo. But after rejecting Gates' options, Bush will let the decision slide to his successor by not pressing the U.S. Congress for legislation to help close the camp, the newspaper says, citing current and former officials.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democratic hopeful Barack Obama have both pledged to close Guantanamo but neither has provided a detailed plan for its closure, the newspaper says.

Washington classifies Guantanamo detainees as "enemy combatants."