Fidel Castro wants Gitmo back

HAVANA, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has called for President Barack Obama to return the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the communist nation.

The 82-year-old Castro, who is suffering from an undisclosed intestinal illness, said that not handing over the post was in fact against international law, Granma newspaper reported Friday, citing a column Castro wrote for a state-run online news source.

Obama recently announced the detainee facility holding terror suspects at the U.S. base would be closed in the next year.

Meanwhile, Castro also said he would be writing fewer opinion columns in the future so as to not conflict with the policy of his successor and brother, Raul Castro.