Guantanamo shrinking but Obama goal of closing prison still elusive

A soldier stands guard in a tower overlooking Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay naval base in a December 31, 2009 file photo provided by the US Navy. REUTERS/US Navy/Spc. Cody Black/Handout via Reuters

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Observed from behind a one-way mirror and heavy chain-link fence, a handful of bearded detainees in baggy t-shirts mill around inside a communal cellblock at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, vastly outnumbered by U.S. troops guarding them.

This is the shrinking world of America’s notorious offshore prison, a scene that underscores how U.S. President Barack Obama is running out of time – and options – to meet his pledge to close the compound before he leaves office in January.