President Obama resumes Guantanamo tribunals

The United States will resume using military commissions to prosecute alleged terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility, President Barack Obama said Monday.

The announcement said the Obama administration remains committed to closing the controversial detention facility, but will rescind its previous suspension on bringing new charges before military commissions.

The commissions are military proceedings rather than trials in civilian courts. In an executive order accompanying his announcement, Obama also authorized prosecuting Guantanamo detainees in U.S. criminal courts when appropriate.