Alleged 9/11 Mastermind, Four Others, Headed to NY Civilian Federal Court

The Associated Press is reporting that self-proclaimed mastermind behind the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred eight years ago, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other detainees are headed to civilian federal court in New York City to face trial. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce the administration's decision formally on Friday.

The administration's decision to bring the five suspects to U.S. soil is seen as a crucial component in President Barack Obama's plan to close down Guantanamo Bay's terror suspect detention center. The decision is relatively controversial due to the fact that many are skeptical about whether or not the cases will endure any setback that would prevent proper punishment for Mohammed and the four other detainees.

Law expert and author Glenn Sulmasy provided a comment about the unique handling of the situation, stating, "This is definitely a seismic shift in how we're approaching the war on al-Qaida. It's certainly surprising that the five masterminds, if you will, of the attacks on the United States will be tried in traditional, open federal courts."

President Obama addressed the subject of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and the notion of bringing five terrorist suspects to U.S. soil to have them tried in civilian federal court during a joint news conference held earlier today in Japan. While he could not reveal specific details since the official announcement has not yet been made, President Obama spoke with conviction that Mohammed and the four detainees would face "the most exacting demands of justice".