Guantanamo Detainees Moved Amid Structural Problems at Showcase Prison

A communal space for detainees at the Camp 6 detention center at Guantanamo Bay in 2019.(Doug Mills/The New York Times)
A communal space for detainees at the Camp 6 detention center at Guantanamo Bay in 2019.(Doug Mills/The New York Times)
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Guantanamo Detainees Moved Amid Structural Problems at Showcase Prison

A communal space for detainees at the Camp 6 detention center at Guantanamo Bay in 2019.(Doug Mills/The New York Times)
A communal space for detainees at the Camp 6 detention center at Guantanamo Bay in 2019.(Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Washington: Carol Rosenberg

Undisclosed infrastructure problems forced the military to evacuate the prison housing the men accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and other detainees from the war against terrorism, according to Defense Department employees.

The military had no comment on the sudden closure over the weekend of its former showcase prison.

But by Tuesday, all 30 detainees at Guantanamo Bay were believed to be confined to a medium-security prison building, called Camp 6, the Defense Department employees said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the security operation.

Camp 6 was built in 2006 for $39 million to house up to 200 detainees, and until this week held 16 general population prisoners in communal-style detention.

All 16 have been approved for transfer to the custody of other countries, including 11 Yemeni men whose transfer to Oman is on hold.

Camp 6 is designed with separate cellblocks, each containing about two dozen cells, a large common room and an adjacent outdoor area monitored by banks of cameras.

When it is operated as a medium-security facility, guards remotely open all the cell doors for much of the day, permitting the prisoners to eat, pray, watch TV and engage in other communal activities until they are ordered back to their cells.

As the detainee population has shrunk, fewer men were held in each cellblock, depending on their disciplinary status. Individual cells were replaced with a pantry, a library and other rooms that could be inspected by guards during hours of lockdown.

Officials at the Pentagon had earlier reached a deal with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices, reportedly involving a guilty plea in exchange for avoiding a death penalty trial.

But Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin revoked the plea agreement, reviving the possibility that they could someday face a death penalty trial. Defense lawyers are now challenging Austin’s rescindment as unlawful, or simply too late.

Along with Mohammed, Walid bin Attash is accused of training two of the hijackers, researching flights and timetables and testing the ability of a passenger to hide a razor knife on flights. Mustafa al-Hawsawi is accused of helping some of the hijackers with finances and travel arrangements.

The New York Times



Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Thursday ordered defense and security units to step up their monitoring and intelligence efforts in response to China's military activities, which he said have not abated even as tensions rise in the Middle East. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has, along with Japan, been tracking the movement of two Chinese aircraft carriers conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, Reuters reported.

Lai, in a statement released by his office after meeting with defense officials, said the conflict between Israel and Iran has led to a "chain of global security challenges."

"From the perspective of our country and even the Indo-Pacific region, it is worth paying special attention to the fact that China's military pressure in the entire region of the first and second island chains has not slowed due to the situation in the Middle East," he said.

"The actions of the two aircraft carrier groups of the Shandong and Liaoning in the relevant waters of the first and second island chains in the past few days have posed considerable risks for the Indo-Pacific region and have aroused the heightened concern of the international community."

The first island chain refers to an area that runs from Japan southeast to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo, while the second island chain spreads further out into the Pacific to include places such as the U.S. territory of Guam.

Lai said he had asked the defense and security teams to strengthen their monitoring of regional developments and enhance their "intelligence gathering and research capabilities."

At the same time, Taiwan should maintain close coordination with its "friends" to ensure a swift response to any "emergencies," he added.

China's Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.

China's navy, which has been honing its abilities to operate farther from the country's coast, said last week the carrier operations were "routine training" exercises that did not target specific countries or regions. China operates two carriers, with a third undergoing sea trials.