A U.S. military statement from Iraq says operations at Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison will end within months, and that prisoners there will be transferred to a new facility now under construction.
Military spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Barry Johnson said no precise dates have yet been set for the transfer. But he said said the plan is to complete the changeover within two or three months.
In Washington, the Pentagon confirmed the timetable for completion of the new facility, Camp Cropper. But a spokesman said it has not been determined whether opening the new facility will lead to the closing of Abu Ghraib.
Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman also said talk of a timetable for closing Abu Ghraib is premature. He said it is not clear whether U.S. forces, which operate the facility, will stop using it as others become available.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
