Three human rights groups said Friday they will reject an invitation by the U.S. Defense Department to tour the Guantanamo Bay prison next month because it doesn’t include an opportunity to speak with prisoners. Amnesty International USA, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch all said the recent invitation falls short of the full access to the prison that they jointly requested in a January letter to President Obama.

The Guantanamo issue has reached a point of contention and confusion among many observers as doubts have surfaced that the prison will close this coming January as Obama promised. Last August I spoke with Candace Gorman, an attorney who represents two Guantanamo Bay detainees, she is the author of The Guantanamo Blog. Gorman gave up her Chicago law practice because she couldn’t guarantee clients anonymity since she had evidence that the government was tapping her phone.  Candace Gorman recently visited Guantanamo, where conditions have improved for her clients.