U.S., Yemen hold talks on detention facility for Guantanamo inmates

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Talks are under way to build a detention facility in Yemen to hold terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan, U.S. and Yemeni officials say.

The plan to set up a facility outside of Sanaa, Yemen, only affect Yemeni prisoners, but is regarded as a renewed push by the Obama administration to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison camp, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday, noting more than half the 164 prisoners currently at Guantanamo are from Yemen.

Yemeni officials have drawn up plans for the facility, but deep divisions over funding remain.

U.S. officials worry inmates could easily rejoin the active Arabian Peninsula insurgency once they are released from the facility, and Yemeni officials do not want to be seen helping Washington create an alternative to the unpopular detention facility, the newspaper said.