US President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison camp within one year.
The signing of the executive order at a White House ceremony today sees a reversal of the anti-terrorism policy employed by the administration of his predecessor, George W Bush.
Shutting the controversial camp, where terrorism suspects have been detained for years without trial, would fulfill a promise Mr Obama made during his campaign.
'The message that we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly,' Mr Obama said at a signing ceremony in the Oval office.
'We are going to do so effectively and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals,' he said.
Officials in Obama's Democratic administration acknowledge that deciding to close the prison is simply the first step in a long, complicated process to determine the fate of its 250 inmates.
The US wants to try about 80 of the prisoners on terrorism charges.
It has cleared 50 other detainees for release but cannot return them to their home countries because of the risk they could be tortured or persecuted there.
Yesterday, in one of the first moves of Mr Obama's administration, military trials at the centre were suspended for 120 days while a presidential review is carried out.
The new US Director of National Intelligence has backed closing Guantanamo and said humane treatment standards for terrorism suspects must apply throughout the government.
'I agree with the president that the detention centre at Guantanamo has become a damaging symbol to the world and that it must be closed,' retired Admiral Dennis Blair said.
'There must be clear standards for humane treatment that apply to all agencies of US government, including the intelligence community,' Mr Blair said.
President Obama also signed an executive order rejecting abusive interrogation tactics and requiring investigators to comply with the Geneva Conventions.
