White House still plans to close Gitmo

WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- The Obama administration says it still plans to shut down the prison at Guantanamo, even though congressional leaders say the job is losing momentum.

The New York Times said Saturday the consensus around Capitol Hill is that it is unlikely Guantanamo will be closed by the time President Obama's current term in office ends in 2013.

"The administration is not putting a lot of energy behind their position that I can see," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who added, "The odds are that it will still be open" by the next presidential inauguration.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., said the closure plan was being dragged down by a combination of Republican opposition, poor planning and a decision-making "paralysis" inside the White House.

But White House spokesman Ben LaBolt told The Times the administration continues to see Gitmo as doing more harm than good in the war on terrorism and was not having second thoughts.

"Our commanders have made clear that closing the detention facility at Guantanamo is a national security imperative, and the president remains committed to achieving that goal," said LaBolt.