The Pentagon is interrupting a plan to offer coronavirus vaccines to Guantanamo Bay detainees, Defense Department press secretary John Kirby said saturday.
Driving the news: The Pentagon planned to start vaccinating detainees as a volunteer, several media outlets reported earlier this week. The plan angered some Republicans, who called it “unforgivable and anti-american. ”
What is he saying: “No Guantanamo detainees have been vaccinated, “tweeted Kirby.
- “We are interrupting the plan to move forward, while reviewing the force protection protocols. We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe. ”
The big picture: It is not clear how many people in Guantánamo have been infected with COVID-19.
- “The lack of vaccines has been a major obstacle to resuming war crimes hearings at the Campo Justice complex,” including that of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other defendants accused of helping carry out the 9/11 attacks, he said. the New York Times.
- About 40 inmates are still being held in the military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
- President Biden said during his campaign that he supported the closure of the prison, but offered no concrete plan on how he would do it.