Commander of Guantanamo Bay prison is fired
In this Nov. 21, 2013 file photo reviewed by the U.S. military, dawn arrives at the now closed Camp X-Ray, which was used as the first detention facility for al-Qaida and Taliban militants who were captured after the Sept. 11 attacks, at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
WASHINGTON — Military officials said the commander of the task force that runs the prison at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been fired for “loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
A statement from U.S. Southern Command said Navy Rear Adm. John Ring was relieved of duty Saturday. The facility’s deputy commander, Army Brig. Gen. John Hussey, has been designated acting commander.
The commander of Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, relieved Ring. The statement said the change in leadership “will not interrupt the safe, humane, legal care and custody provided to the detainee population at GTMO.”
About 40 prisoners are being held at the facility. At its peak, in mid-2003, it held nearly 700. /kga
