The US Senate has overwhelmingly rejected plans to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo Bay, and refused funding to close down the prison camp.
Senators voted by 90-6 to block the transfer of 240 inmates, also stalling a request for $80m (£51m).
Correspondents say it is a rebuke to President Barack Obama's plans to close down the camp by January 2010.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress detainees could support terror in the US if allowed to go free.
"The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing to terrorists, [and] radicalising others," Mr Mueller told a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee.
Separately, a federal judge said the US can continue to hold some prisoners at Guantanamo indefinitely without any charges..
Constituency concern
The Senate decision to block a war funding bill meant for the camp followed a similar decision by the House of Representatives.
Democrats and Republicans each argue that there needs to be a better plan for closing Guantanamo, situated on US territory on the island of Cuba.
The American people don't want these men walking the streets of America's neighbourhoods
John Thune
Republican senator
Suspects 'can be detained'
What next for inmates?
The detention centre, established by former President George W Bush after the 9/11 attacks, still holds 240 terrorist suspects.
President Barack Obama has said he wants the camp closed by January 2010 and administration officials insist that deadline will be met.
But many legislators say they need further convincing of White House plans to move many of the detainees onto the US mainland.
"The American people don't want these men walking the streets of America's neighbourhoods," Republican Senator John Thune said.
"The American people don't want these detainees held at a military base or federal prison in their backyard, either."
The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said the White House needed a credible plan for how to close the base.
"Once it has one, we'll consider closing Guantanamo, but not a second sooner," he said.
Democratic leaders say they will reconsider providing the requested funds, once the White House has drawn up more detailed plans.
Most Democrats support his commitment to close Guantanamo Bay, but realise that agreeing to fund an ill-prepared process would provide fodder for the Republican opposition, says the BBC's James Coomarasamy in Washington.
The new setback follows Mr Obama's decision to revive the military tribunal system for some Guantanamo detainees.
In one of his first acts on taking office, he Obama halted the Bush-era military commissions, saying the US was entering a new era of respecting human rights.
Introducing new safeguards for detainees, he said he had supported their use as one avenue to try detainees, and in 2006 had voted in favour of them.
Under extra safeguards for detainees, there will be:
a ban on evidence obtained by harsh interrogation
restrictions on hearsay evidence
more leeway for detainees to choose their own lawyers
1 comment:
Running the country is not nearly as easy as the previous 43 presidents made it look, eh Barry?
And as was obvious to the less-smitten amongst us, the pollyana gobbledygook he laid on the left to get himself elected was never going to work in reality- a fact that the calculating opportunist Obama likely knew full-well back when he was promising them the moon and the stars.
He'll use you, if you let him... that's how narcissists are.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
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