President George W Bush said yesterday he would like to shut the Guantanamo Bay camp and return many detainees to their countries.
But the "cold-blooded killers" would not be sent back, he said after talks with EU leaders at a summit in Vienna.
He acknowledged European concerns about the prison camp in Cuba, saying: "I'd like to end Guantanamo - I'd like it to be over with."
The president said 200 detainees had been sent home, and of the 460 remaining, most were from Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghanistan.
"There are some who need to be tried in US courts," said Mr Bush.
"They're cold-blooded killers. They will murder somebody if they are let out on the street."
Pressure on the US to close Guantanomo has intensified since the suicides of three prisoners earlier this month.
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