U.S. names new envoy for bid to close Guantanamo prison

The exterior of Camp Delta is seen at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, in this March 6, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Bob Strong

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A newly appointed special envoy to lead the Obama administration’s efforts to close the Guantanamo prison said he saw a window of opportunity that could substantially reduce the detainee population there in coming months.

Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday named attorney Lee Wolosky, who served in the National Security Council under the administrations of both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, to a post considered crucial to meeting President Barack Obama’s long-standing promise to shut the internationally condemned jail at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.