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Study Finds 98 U.S. Prisons To Take Gitmo Detainees

Is there a viable endgame for Guantanamo Bay after all?

A Government Accountability Office study suggests that the 166 detainees still held at Gitmo could be safely transferred to a number of U.S. prisons.

The study, commissioned by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, shows that 373 charged or convicted terrorists are already safely being held in 98 prisons across the country. Security upgrades would be required to accommodate transferred detainees from Gitmo, but the United States already spends $114 million annually for overseas detention.

President Obama’s 2009 order to close Gitmo and transfer its prisoners was blocked by Republicans, who suggested the move could threaten civilians. Feinstein said the decision to close the notorious prison would rely on the “political will” of Congress.