Guantanamo Bay has "weakened" US national security and become a "rallying cry" for America's enemies, President Barack Obama has said as he seeks to convince Congress of the need to close the base.
The president outlined his plans to deal with 240 detainees currently in legal limbo at the controversial centre, insisting no-one who posed a risk would be released.
His comments come a day after the US Senate blocked $80m (£51 million) in funding which the White House says is needed to close the detention camp.
Mr Obama announced the proposed shutting of the centre in January in one of his first moves as president.
Guantanamo Bay, which houses terror suspects, has been a continuing focus of criticism due to its system of detention without trial and harsh interrogation techniques.
But despite its tarnished reputation, there have been growing calls from Republicans to keep the camp open.
They claim that alleged terrorists who cannot be convicted may have to be set free in the US.
Speaking in Washington, Mr Obama described Guantanamo Bay as a "misguided experiment" which had set back America's "moral authority".
He continued: "Rather than keep us safer, the prison at Guantanamo has weakened American national security. It is a rallying cry for our enemies.
"It sets back the willingness of our allies to work with us in fighting an enemy that operates in scores of countries. By any measure, the costs of keeping it open far exceed the complications involved in closing it."
