Pentagon Wants $200M— for 10-Year Gitmo Upgrade

If you're already upset about the fact that Guantanamo is still open, your head may actually explode at this next bit: The Pentagon wants Congress to grant it more than $450 million to maintain—and upgrade—the prison, according to a budget request from the Obama administration. Specifically, $200 million of that is earmarked for upgrading temporary facilities, a process that could take as long as 10 years, the AP reports.

Another $79 million is for operations (the same amount as the current year); $20.5 million is for the office of military commissions; plus millions more for a fiberoptic cable. President Obama still intends to close the prison, and just last month he pointed out at a news conference that Guantanamo Bay is "expensive" and "inefficient." He is expected to discuss Gitmo's future tomorrow during a speech on counterterrorism. (More Guantanamo Bay stories.)