</s>While President Donald Trump has been abroad at the G20 Summit, Attorney General Jeff Sessions took a trip of his own -- a visit to the Guantanamo Bay prison camp at the US naval base on Cuba.

Sessions traveled to Guantanamo with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

The Friday day trip was the first visit Sessions has taken to the detention facility since becoming attorney general. His last visit was in 2005 under then-President George W. Bush's administration.

Department of Justice spokesman Ian Prior said the purpose of the travel was "to have an up-to-date understanding of current operations ... to gain that understanding by meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts at GTMO," an acronym the military uses to describe the military base in Cuba.

"Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration," Prior said in the statement. "Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible."

The DOJ is partly responsible for handling detainee-related litigation at Guantanamo. Trump in the past has made clear his intentions to keep the military base open -- despite former President Barack Obama's down to the wire efforts to rid the camp of all remaining detainees and close the prison for good. On the campaign trail last February Trump told a crowd of his intentions to "load it up with some bad dudes," potentially by bringing in people with ties to ISIS. He has also told the Miami Herald he would be "fine" with sending Americans accused of terrorism to Guantanamo. Currently 41 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay. The DOJ would not provide additional details about what parts of the camp Sessions visited. \</s>WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a "perfectly acceptable" place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts.

Sessions is traveling to the military detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, to gain "an up-to-date understanding of current operations," Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. They will "meet with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts" at the prison. It is Sessions' first trip there since becoming attorney general.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible," Prior said.

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a "very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals."

"We've spent a lot of money fixing it up," Sessions told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. "And I'm inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact is that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated."

President Donald Trump said during the presidential campaign that he wanted the detention facility open and promised to "load it up with some bad dudes." But he has not publicly announced any policy on the prison's future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn't fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Obama's Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Yet Sessions and other Republicans have long expressed concern that civilian courts afford legal protections to which suspected terrorists are not entitled. He has warned that valuable intelligence can be lost if a detainee is advised of his right to remain silent and to have a lawyer.

Rosenstein, however, has said he expects terrorism cases to be handled through civilian trials.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators from Guantanamo to New York for trial. Though the plan was derailed by political opposition, Holder has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled. It is likely to be years before the men go before a jury of military officers.

The other military commission death penalty case, of the alleged mastermind of the deadly October 2000 bombing attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, has been similarly bogged down for years in pretrial litigation. Both have stalled largely due to issues related to the fact that the defendants were held for years in clandestine CIA facilities and subjected to treatment now widely regarded as torture.

Sessions lamented delays in the military system, telling Hewitt it is time to "get this thing figured out."

"By now, we should have worked through all the legal complications that the Obama administration seemed to allow to linger and never get decided, so nothing ever happened," he said. But, he added, "In general, I don't think we're better off bringing these people to federal court in New York and trying them in federal court where they get discovery rights to find out our intelligence, and get court-appointed lawyers and things of that nature."

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Miami contributed to this report.</s>The Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein are making a previously unannounced trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Friday.

The visit by the top two men at the Justice Department will address the continued use of the American naval base to detain enemy combatants in the war on terror. Keeping this “GTMO” prison camp open was a Trump campaign promise that has so far been upheld. According to DOJ spokesman Ian Prior:

Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration. Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible.

Prior also referenced the DOJ’s role in handling the continuous stream of litigation that has attended the prison camp almost since its inception:

The attorney general, along with the deputy attorney general, will be traveling to our base in Guantanamo Bay today. In addition to the Department of Justice’s role in handling detainee-related litigation, it is important for the Department of Justice to have an up-to-date understanding of current operations. The purpose of the trip is to gain that understanding by meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts at GTMO.

Sessions himself has advised President Donald Trump to keep the camp, which now holds only a few dozen of the most difficult terrorism-related detainees, open. He has similarly downplayed the legal threats against its continued operation.

This stance marks a significant departure from President Barack Obama’s policy on GTMO. Despite greatly reducing the detainee population and calling repeatedly for the camp to be closed, President Obama, by his own account, was not able to fully close the prison.

By contrast, on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump once promised concerning GTMO, “We’re gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we’re gonna load it up.”</s>WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a “perfectly acceptable” place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts.

Sessions traveled to the military detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, to gain “an up-to-date understanding of current operations,” Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said.

“Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible,” Prior said.

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a “very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals.”

“We’ve spent a lot of money fixing it up,” Sessions told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. “And I’m inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact is that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated.”

President Donald Trump has not publicly announced any policy on the prison’s future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn’t fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Obama’s Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas. and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Yet Sessions and other Republicans have long expressed concern that civilian courts afford legal protections to which suspected terrorists are not entitled. He has warned that valuable intelligence can be lost if a detainee is advised of his right to remain silent and to have a lawyer.

Rosenstein, however, has said he expects terrorism cases to be handled through civilian trials.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators from Guantanamo to New York for trial. Though the plan was derailed by political opposition, Holder has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled. It is likely to be years before the men go before a jury of military officers.

The other military commission death penalty case, of the alleged mastermind of the deadly October 2000 bombing attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, has been similarly bogged down for years in pretrial litigation. Both have stalled largely due to issues related to the fact that the defendants were held for years in clandestine CIA facilities and subjected to treatment now widely regarded as torture.

Sessions lamented delays in the military system, telling Hewitt it is time to “get this thing figured out.”</s>Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a fine place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to having them prosecuted by the Justice Department in U.S. courts.

Sessions is traveling to the detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, to gain “an up-to-date understanding of current operations,” Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. They will “meet with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts” there. It is Sessions’ first trip there since becoming attorney general.

“Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible,” Prior said.

Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo, calling it a “very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals.”

“We’ve spent a lot of money fixing it up,” Sessions told the conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. “And I’m inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated.”

The support for Guantanamo now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close it. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn’t fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41.

Obama’s Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, from Guantanamo to New York for trial, and though the plan was derailed by political opposition, has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled.</s>Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, which he has called a good place to house new terrorism suspects.

Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said Friday that Sessions is traveling to the prison in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. He says they are making the one-day trip to gain “an up-to-date understanding of current operations.”

The spokesman says the officials will “meet with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts” at the prison.

Sessions has long expressed support for continued use of Guantanamo, which President Barack Obama had worked to close. Sessions has said he sees no problem with detaining terror suspects at the prison, rather than prosecute them in the U.S. court system.</s>Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jeff SessionsThe Hill's 12:30 Report Sessions, deputy AG to tour Guantanamo Bay prison Senate Republicans: Leaks harming national security MORE and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, on Friday were set to visit the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to receive “an up-to-date understanding of current operations,” according to the Justice Department.

“Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration,” Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

“Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible.”

Prior added that Sessions and Rosenstein would be “meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts” at the prison.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats Dan CoatsSessions, deputy AG to tour Guantanamo Bay prison The Memo: GOP pushes Trump to curb Mueller attacks Merkley: Trump 'absolutely' tried to intimidate Comey MORE was also expected to join in the visit, the Miami Herald reported.

Sessions has frequently supported the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, both as attorney general and as an Alabama senator. In March he called it a “very fine place” and that he sees no legal reason not to send potential terrorism suspects there.

President Trump vowed on the campaign trail to keep the prison open and filled, and earlier this year he released draft executive orders that would call for captured ISIS suspects to be sent there. The orders also would halt the process for clearing detainees for transfer.

Trump has yet to sign any of the orders or send any newly captured suspects to Guantanamo.

President George W. Bush opened the facility in January 2002 as a place to bring suspected terrorists after the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 800 prisoners were brought there before the Bush administration began trying to close it.

President Barack Obama Barack ObamaTillerson: Trump and Putin had 'positive chemistry' White House limiting number of troops to Afghanistan: report Tillerson: Trump pressed Putin on election interference MORE attempted to close the prison when he first entered the White House in 2009 and several times after, but he was never successful. Obama did manage to reduce the number of detainees to 41 men by the time he left office.</s>Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a fine place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to having them prosecuted by the Justice Department in U.S. courts.</s>U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Friday, a potential sign of his continued support for keeping the prison open as a place to detain terrorism suspects.

A Justice Department spokesperson said Sessions will visit the detention facility with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in order to obtain "an up-to-date understanding of current operations.” They will "meet with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts" at the prison. It is Sessions' first trip there since becoming attorney general.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible," Prior said.

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a "very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals."

President Donald Trump said during the presidential campaign that he wanted the detention facility open and promised to "load it up with some bad dudes." But he has not publicly announced any policy on the prison's future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn't fulfill a campaign promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The cost per Guantanamo detainee has been estimated around $7.58 million per year, according to the Miami Herald. The facility currently has more than 1,600 military and civilian staff members and remains funded throughout the remainder of this fiscal year.

While Sessions and other Republicans are concerned that trying terrorism suspects in civilian courts might afford them extra legal protections to which they are not entitled, Rosenstein has said he expects terrorism cases to be handled through civilian trials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions, along with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats visit the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.