Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

President Obama predicts that main plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be convicted and put to death because of the 9/11 attacks. US Attorney General Eric Holder assured lawmakers that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would not be set free even if he is acquitted by a jury in New York. Obama believes "these terrorists possess some special powers that prevent us from presenting evidence against them, locking them up and exacting swift justice." He also acknowledged the fact that he won't be able to meet the January 22,2010 deadline he announced on his second day in office for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. Holder explains this delay for having to face "unexpected difficulties to reach that goal." He hopes to overcome this problem by finding destinations for those detainees that have been cleared for release. Holder believes that "failure isn't an option" and that these are cases that need to be won and doesn't expect any other result. Critics have warned that civilian trials will give the accused more rights and that as a result could set a precedent that could change how the US military gets intelligence from suspected terrorists captured overseas. the five men face trial just a few blocks away from Ground Zero where many lost their lives after Al-Qaeda extremists flew hijacked airliners into the towers. Relatives of the victims of 9/11 denounced Holder's decision. But he still believes that by bringing prosecutions to both courts and military commissions, the final steps to justice are being taken.