Guantanamo to flare again

WASHINGTON - The controversy over the United States-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is to erupt again with confirmation by the Pentagon that a new, permanent prison will soon open in the Cuban enclave.

Camp 6, a state-of-the-art maximum-security jail, will be able to hold 200 prisoners. Spokesman Commander Robert Durand said the US$30 million, two-storey block was due to open at the end of September. He added: "Camp 6 is designed to improve the quality of life for the detainees and provide greater protection for the people working in the facility."

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Bush Administration's system for trying prisoners using military tribunals breached US and international law. At the time, some campaigners predicted the decision marked the beginning of the end of Guantanamo Bay. But the Bush Administration has since signalled its intention to introduce new legislation that would circumvent the court's ruling.

- INDEPENDENT