The White House acknowledged for the first time Friday it might not be able to close the U.S. military prison at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay by January as President Barack Obama had promised.

Senior administration officials told The Associated Press that difficulties in completing the lengthy review of detainee files and resolving thorny legal and logistical questions mean the president's self-imposed January deadline may not be met.

Obama remains as committed to closing the facility as he was when — as one of his first acts in office — he pledged to shut it down, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The prison in Cuba was created by former president George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a landing spot for suspected al-Qaeda, Taliban and foreign fighters captured in Afghanistan and elsewhere. But it has became a lightning rod for anti-U.S. criticism around the globe as prisoners remain in legal limbo.

There are about 225 detainees still being held at the prison.

Obama promised soon after taking office — and many times since — to close the prison, arguing that doing so is crucial to restoring America's image in the world and creating a more effective anti-terrorist approach.

But eight months after Obama's pledge and with only four months to go before the January deadline, a number of difficult issues remain unresolved.

They include establishment of a new set of rules for military trials, finding a location for a new prison to house detainees and finding host countries for those who can be released.