The struggle over the Guantanamo Bay detention center is still ongoing as reports say Pentagon continues to block the advancement of President Barack Obama's plans to close down the facility.

A special report from Reuters revealed that former and current administration officials have confirmed that Pentagon officials are "throwing up bureaucratic obstacles" to keep Guantanamo from releasing detainees efficiently and eventually shutting down.

Administration officials explained that the Pentagon representatives make it difficult to move prisoners out of Guantanamo as they set up numerous obstacles, from refusing to give the detainees' basic documentation and medical records to foreign governments that might be willing to take them, making it difficult for these governments' representatives to visit and spend adequate time at Guantanamo.

State Department special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2013 to 2014 James Dobbins told Reuters that negotiation with Pentagon was like "punching a pillow," adding that the delays have caused Afghan detainees to stay an additional four years in the detention center even after they were approved for transfer.

However, the Pentagon is denying the multiple allegations.

"No foreign government or U.S. department has ever notified the Department of Defense that transfer negotiations collapsed due to a lack of information or access provided by the Department of Defense," Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said.

Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel did not deny that the Pentagon is wary of releasing detainees, saying in an interview that these prisoners might simply rejoin the efforts against U.S. forces. He pointed out, "Look at where most of the casualties have come from -- it's the military."

General John F. Kelly, who is in charge of the U.S. Southern Command including Guantanamo, has been named as one of the officials who make it increasingly difficult for foreign parties to visit the detention center. In a written statement, Kelly said, "Our staff works closely with the members of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task Force Guantanamo to support the visits of all foreign delegations and have never refused or curtailed one of these visits."

The White House has also officially spoken out and denied pointing fingers at the Pentagon for the slow progression of Guantanamo efforts.

"We're all committed to the same goal: safely and responsibly closing the detention facility," White House spokesman Myles Caggins stated.

Seventeen detainees have been scheduled for release in January, and the first batch is being prepped for transfer as early as next week, according to a senior official in a report from Stripes. An additional three detainees are also set to be reviewed by the board in January to see if they are eligible for transfer as well.