The military has reportedly long declined to recognize Camp 7's presence on the base and has never permitted journalists to tour the site. Officials said the unit, which was never intended to be permanent, had structural problems and needed to be replaced, but the Pentagon decided not to pursue funding for the project, according to reports.
The US military announced Sunday that a once-secret unit called Camp 7 inside the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been closed and the inmates transferred to another facility on the American base in Cuba.
In an attempt to “increase operational efficiency and effectiveness,” the prisoners at Camp 7 were moved to Camp 5, a facility adjacent to where the other inmates on the base are housed, according to a statement from Miami-based US Southern Command.
The prisoners from Camp 7 were transferred to Camp 5 “safely and without incident,” according to Southern Command, but it did not specify when the transfer took place. Camp 5, which was mostly vacant, is adjacent to Camp 6, which reportedly houses the remaining detainees. This will allow 40 Guantanamo prisoners to be contained in just two facilities.
“This fiscally responsible decision will reduce the detention facility's footprint and will eliminate maintenance requirements and costs incurred by Camp VII,” the statement continued.
According to an Associated Press report, officials previously stated that approximately 14 men were held in Camp 7 of the…
