Washington: In a shift from its earlier
stand, the Obama Administration is now leaning towards a
military trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of
the 9/11 terror attacks, a media report said today.
"White House officials said they were now leaning
toward a military trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other
defendants as part of an effort to make a deal with
lawmakers," the Wall Street Journal reported.
"The aim (of a military trial) is to save the
administration`s broader goal of allowing the Justice
Department to try other terror suspects in civilian courts and
shutting down the Guantanamo Bay prison," it said.
However, the Obama administration has not taken any
decision on the new venue of the trial of Khalid Sheikh.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said it would
take quite some time before a decision in this regard is taken
by the Obama Administration; whose plan to try the 9/11
mastermind in a New York court had to be scuttled due to
strong opposition from the city Mayor and local lawmakers.
"I don`t expect a decision on that for several or many
weeks," Gibbs told reporters.
"The (US) President obviously has gotten involved
because Congress has actively been involved in venue options
for any trial involving Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The
President`s obviously strong equity in this is seeing that
after many long years that justice is brought," Gibbs added.
Khalid Sheikh was captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in
2003 and has been in US custody since that time.
PTI
