Pentagon requests $450 million to maintain and upgrade Guantanamo Bay

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The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo Bay prison that President Barack Obama wants to close.

The budget request for the fiscal year beginning October 1 calls for $79m for detention operations, the same as the current year, and $20.5m for the office of military commissions, an increase over the current amount of $12.6m. The request also includes $40m for a fiber optic cable and $99 million for operation and maintenance.

The Pentagon also wants $200m for military construction to upgrade temporary facilities. That work could take eight to 10 years as the military has to transport workers to the island, rely on limited housing and fly in building material.

"Guantanamo is not necessary to keep America safe," the president said at a White House news conference last month. "It is expensive. It is inefficient. It hurts us in terms of our international standing. It lessens cooperation with our allies on counterterrorism efforts. It is a recruitment tool for extremists. It needs to be closed."

www.aljazeera.com...
www.foxnews.com...

In the economic times like this, while the country is in huge debt. Spending 450 million on detaining less than 200 prisoners?

This is freaking Ridiculous!! Think of that money, money that's being spent on something that doesn't need to exist, think of what that money could be doing for lets say... health care in the U.S.

I don't know what else to say except that I'm disgusted.

The good Dr. Ron Paul would never had let this happen.. smh

reply to post by Cabin


It is just amazing what the Government will spend money on.

I am Very Curious as to what Differentiates "Detention Operations" from "Operation".

FORTUNATELY. .. ..

The "President" might actually have "Our" backs covered on that.

In case you hadn't noticed he sure does get His Way an Awful Lot. Plus he does give some valid points.

That facility is very important actually. Not for being a prison, they should close that, but for being an American base in a hostile country...very rare to ever get that.

It could have plenty of uses, intelligence, political refugees.....you name it.....so it should stay open however keeping prisoners there hasn't really worked out I will admit.