At its peak, the facility housed over 700 prisoners.
"15 years is no joke!" Activists @ShutGuantanamo marking 15 years of #Guantanamo with a Sad Clown Protest in #London https://t.co/OusJYdWabc pic.twitter.com/Gr5JwX87tV
— Sputnik UK (@SputnikNewsUK) January 11, 2017
US President Barack Obama made closing the detention facility a priority for his administration, arguing that its use has been a potent recruiting tool by terror groups and the prison has damaged US reputation abroad. Most of the hundreds of detainees were released under Obama, yet 55 remain. Of those still left behind bars, 19 have been cleared for release by governmental reviews.
US President-elect Donald Trump has, however, stated that the remaining prisoners are "dangerous people" and should not be released from the so-called Gitmo, while advocating that the prison should remain open.
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