The Miami Herald
May. 04, 2002

Cuba base inmate total reaches 363

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - (AP) -- Thirty-two more suspected terrorists arrived at this Caribbean outpost Friday, the second mass arrival in two days.

Friday's arrivals, on a C-140 military plane, bring the number of detainees being held at Guantánamo to 363, representing at least 34 nationalities. Another 32 arrived Wednesday.

  ''This has probably been the most efficient operation in terms of time and processing,'' said Maj. James Bell, a spokesman for the detention mission. ``The soldiers are just getting better at what they do.''

  Officials refused to say where the plane had flown from, and it was unclear whether the detainees were captured in the war in Afghanistan. Previously, they had said thev planes were coming from the U.S. military base at Kandahar airport.

  Officials have said Guantánamo may become a detention center for a broad range of terrorism suspects, not just suspected Taliban or al Qaeda fighters.