WASHINGTON, Dec 18: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has ordered aides to draw up plans for closing the “war on terror” prison at Guantanamo, a declared priority for president-elect Barack Obama, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Mr Gates wanted to be ready in case Barack Obama decides to take action on Guantanamo soon after assuming office next month, said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

“He has asked his team for a proposal on how to shut it down, what will be required specifically to close it and move the detainees from that facility, and at the same time protect the American people from dangerous terrorists,” he said.

“The request has been made, his team is working on it so he can be prepared to assist the president-elect should he wish to address this very early in his tenure,” Morrell said.

The prison, which currently has about 250 inmates, was opened in early 2002 to hold detainees captured in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the US “war on terror”.

The prisoners include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged operational mastermind of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, as well as other alleged senior Al Qaeda leaders.

In an interview that was aired late on Wednesday on PBS television, Mr Gates said: “I think we can provide alternatives to it”.

“I would like to see it closed. And I think it will be a high priority for the new administration,” he said on the Charlie Rose show.

But he said closing the prison would require passage of laws that would prevent dangerous detainees from being released in the US. “As an example, you probably want something in legislation that says if somebody is freed from Guantanamo, they don’t have an automatic right to asylum in the United States,” he said.—AFP