The Pentagon has ordered accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four suspected co-conspirators to stand trial before a Guantánamo war crimes tribunal. All five of the men were once held in secret CIA prisons before being sent to Guantánamo in 2006. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the decision not to try the men in a civilian court. The ACLU’s Anthony Romero said the tribunals violate due process by allowing the use of hearsay and coerced or secret evidence. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked about the decision to proceed to trial.

Jay Carney: “Well, it has been more than 10 years since 9/11, first of all, and the President is committed to ensuring that those who are accused of perpetrating the 9/11 attacks against the United States be brought to justice. The President remains committed to shutting down Guantánamo Bay. In that commitment, he is of the same opinion as his predecessor, as his opponent in the 2008 presidential election, as the senior leadership of the United States military and many, many others, who believe that Gitmo ought to be closed.”