New commander takes over at Guantanamo

A new commander took charge Wednesday at Guantanamo, the US prison for terror suspects that President Barack Obama has tried in vain to close.

The new boss is Navy Rear Adm. Peter Clarke, who used to command a nuclear submarine and has also worked to fight drug trafficking in South America.

He replaces Air Force General Jose Monteagudo as commander of Guantanamo, located on the eastern tip of Cuba.

The change of command ceremony was attended by more than 200 service members and guests, said Lisa Garcia, spokeswoman for the US Southern Command.

The change came as the Obama administration works to finalize a plan for closing the prison, which was created to house terror suspects after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

As of now, the facility is home to 112 inmates.

It became notorious for harsh interrogation techniques and because many prisoners are, or were, held for years without being charged.

The Pentagon is assessing the cost of transferring the prison to the United States itself, looking at potential sites in Colorado, South Carolina or Kansas.

Two weeks ago, Obama vetoed a clause in a defense budget bill that would have blocked such a transfer.