U.S. report on terrorism detainees delayed 6 months

In this photo, reviewed by the U.S. military, a Guantanamo detainee speaks with guards inside the Camp 6 detention facility at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, May 31, 2009.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key report ordered by U.S. President Barack Obama as part of his effort to close the internationally condemned Guantanamo prison will be delayed six months, but officials insisted on Monday they were still on track to shut it down by January.

Amid divisions between lawmakers and the administration over the fate of Guantanamo inmates, Obama aides said a task force developing a new policy on terrorism detainees would miss its Tuesday deadline for offering him a full list of recommendations.

Instead, the government panel issued an interim report late on Monday that provided an overview of the options, including prosecution in U.S. civilian courts and by military commission or the transfer of suspects to other countries.

A separate government task force reviewing detainee interrogation rules also fell short of its Tuesday deadline and was granted an extra two months to submit a final report, senior administration officials said.

Obama has promised to close the prison at a U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January. It was opened under former President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, and has drawn international criticism for holding prisoners indefinitely, many without charges.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)