Guantanamo report on detainee policy delayed

By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key report ordered by U.S. President Barack Obama as part of his effort to close the internationally condemned Guantanamo prison will be delayed six months, but officials insisted on Monday they were still on track to shut it down by January.

Amid divisions between the administration and lawmakers over the fate of Guantanamo inmates, Obama aides said a task force crafting a new policy on terrorism detainees would miss its Tuesday deadline for offering its full recommendations.

Instead, the government panel issued an interim report late on Monday that provided an overview of the options, including prosecution in U.S. civilian courts and by military commission or the transfer of suspects to other countries.

A separate government task force reviewing detainee interrogation rules also fell short of its Tuesday deadline and was granted an extra two months to submit a final report.

Obama has promised to close the prison at a U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January, saying it had damaged the United States' moral standing in the world. But the delays could signal the difficulties he faces meeting that pledge.

The prison was opened under former President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and has drawn international criticism for holding prisoners indefinitely, many without charge. About 230 inmates remain.

Though postponement of the two reports could raise questions about Obama's timetable, officials said the administration remained committed to his target date for shuttering Guantanamo -- within a year of his inauguration this year.

"Are we on target to meet the deadline?" one official said at a briefing for reporters. "The answer is yes."