GUANTANAMO, Cuba 29 Apr (ANA) - The man in charge of Guantanamo Bay has been sacked due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command", officials have said.

 

Navy Rear Admiral John Ring lost his job at the prison in Cuba on Saturday, with Army Brigadier General John Hussey named as the acting commander.

 

The decision to fire Admiral Ring, who led the military task force responsible for running the infamous complex at a US naval station on the southeast coast of the island nation, was made by Navy Admiral Craig Faller.

 

In a statement, US Southern Command said the change in leadership "will not interrupt the safe, humane, legal care and custody provided to the detainee population", nor will it affect the 1,800 troops and staff on site.

 

Admiral Ring, a former commander of navy warship Nimitz, "will be temporarily assigned duties elsewhere" in light of his dismissal, which he was informed of at Southern Command headquarters in Florida.

 

He was the 18th commander of Guantanamo Bay, having started in April last year. The New York Times reported that he was already due to leave in June.

 

About 40 prisoners are being held at Guantanamo Bay currently, which is way down on the 700 kept there at its peak back in mid-2003.(ANA)

FA/ANA/29 April 2019-------