Military's Plan: Build New $49M Prison at Gitmo

It's been four years since Barack Obama promised to close Gitmo, but not only are the camps still open, now the US military wants $49 million to build a new prison building there, reports the New York Times. With the new building—which would apparently replace Camp 7, where so-called high-value detainee are held—the military is asking for an estimated $195.7 million to upgrade the prison camp so it can continue to operate indefinitely.

Other items on the improvements list include $99 million for two barracks, $12 million for a new dining hall, and money for improving medical, legal, and communications facilities. While acknowledging the funding request is a hefty one, General John F. Kelly, the Southcom commander, noted "everything that’s built down there is at least twice as expensive." (More Guantanamo Bay stories.)