Report: Obama Moves to Restart Military Commissions

Government officials say the Obama administration is preparing to restart military commissions established at Guantanamo Bay, the Washington Post has reported.

Obama obtained a four-month suspension of the commissions in the beginning of his administration that is set to expire May 20.  Officials tell the Washington Post that Obama will seek a 90-day extension as early as next week.

After the extension, it is expected that Obama will revive the commissions, under new rules that would offer terror suspects  greater legal protections.  A lawyer briefed on the plan told the Washington Post that the commissions will subsequently restart on American soil.

The commissions will block the use of evidence obtained by harsh interrogations, sources told the Washington Post.

Obama previously said the commissions had "been an enormous failure" and during the campaign said he would "reject the Military Commissions Act."

A Defense Department official told FOX News earlier this week that closing the commissions looked easy on Jan. 20, "but having reviewed the files, it makes sense to keep some cases in the military commissions."

Changes to the commissions would take congressional approval, according to the Defense official.

Officials who work on the Guantanamo issue say administration lawyers have become concerned that they would face significant obstacles to trying some terrorism suspects in federal courts, the NY Times reported earlier this week.

"The more they look at it," an official told the Times, "the more commissions don't look as bad as they did on Jan. 20."

Click here to read the full report from the Washington Post.