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 U.S. Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, told reporters on Monday that the final version of the
massive bill will not allow the president to transfer inmates to the
United States.
"Our language (on Guantanamo) ... will not be in," Levin said.
The defense bill, which has been passed annually for more than half
a century, is likely to be approved by the House of Representatives
and Senate in the coming days and then sent to the White House for
Obama to sign into law.
 Obama has promised to shut the detainee camp since he entered the
White House in early 2009, citing its damage to the U.S. reputation
around the world. He has so far been unable to do so, partly because
of resistance from Congress.
In its version of the National Defense Authorization Act written
earlier this year, the majority-Democratic Senate panel included
language that would have allowed some transfers to the United
States.
Such transfers are strongly opposed by some Democrats and many
Republicans, who hold a majority of seats in the House, and were
left out of the compromise version of the bill.
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Advocates for closing the camp say it violates U.S. principles such
as not holding prisoners without charge. They say it also acts as a
recruiting tool for anti-American militants, and is very expensive
to keep open.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle. Editing by Andre Grenon)
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