Few Guantanamo Inmates to Move to Stateside Prison

White House officials say U.S. President Obama has ordered the federal government to purchase a state prison in Illinois to house about 100 suspected terrorists now being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The prison is situated in Thomson, a rural town about 240 kilometers west of Chicago. The 1,600 cell correction center there was built in 2001 to house maximum security inmates, but is nearly-empty. An official announcement on the contract is planned for Tuesday.

The president signed as an order days after taking office in January to close Guantanamo within a year.

But the administration's plan has been met with fierce resistance by a few congressional lawmakers who oppose bringing alleged terrorists into the United States.

Mr. Obama admitted newly that his administration will not be able to close Guantanamo by its self-imposed deadline.