US committed to closing Guantanamo: White House

United States President Barack Obama is still committed to closing down the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention centre, a promise he had made during his presidential campaign, his spokesman said on Tuesday after his government's U-turn over trial of the 9/11 accused.

"We remain committed to closing Guantanamo because it's in our national security interest, as military commanders have said and as the previous administration said prior to the arrival and the inauguration of this President," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters during an off-camera briefing.

Carney said the closure of Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention centre is an 'ongoing process'.

A day earlier, Attorney General Eric Holder had said that it will still take time to close the Guantanamo facility.

In a volte-face, the Obama administration on Tuesday said that the alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and his four co-conspirators would now be tried in a military court instead of a civilian court.

It is a complete reversal of the November 2009 announcement that Sheikh Muhammad and four other individuals would stand trial in federal court for their roles in the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.

"I stand by that decision today," Holder said but quickly added that he has reversed his previous decision because of the opposition from Congressmen, who intervened and imposed restrictions, blocking the administration from bringing any Guantanamo detainees to trial in the US.