By Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
Vice President Cheney said yesterday that he would not close the prison housing suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, going public with a perspective that differs from that of others in the administration, including President Bush.
Bush has said repeatedly that he wants to close the prison once administration officials figure out what to do with several hundred remaining detainees. But senior administration officials have been divided about how to accomplish that given a variety of practical impediments, including the reluctance on the part of some countries to accept the return of their citizens detained there.
Cheney gave voice to his position in an interview with CNN’s Larry King, who asked whether Cheney agreed with former secretary of state Colin L. Powell that the facility should be closed “yesterday.”