Obama does not rule out New York 9/11 trial

The administration had hoped to prosecute Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants in a federal court in lower Manhattan, close to the site of the World Trade Center attack which killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001.

But the plan has faced blanket opposition from local lawmakers and authorities who have balked at the huge costs of such a trial, while others have warned of perceived security implications.

"I have not ruled it out, but I think it is important for us to take into account the practical logistical issues involved," Obama said in a live interview from the White House on CBS.

"If you have got a city that is saying no, and a police department that is saying no, and a mayor that is saying no, that makes it difficult," Obama said.

But he added: "we have not ruled out anything -- we will make a definitive judgement based on consultations with all the relevant authorities."

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg initially welcomed the idea of holding a September 11 trial in New York, but reversed his position last month, saying that a military base would make more sense as a venue.

"It?s going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb an awful lot of people," Bloomberg said.

"Can we provide security? Yes. Could you provide security elsewhere? Yeah, and I mean the suggestion of a military base is probably a reasonably good one."