[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] If you're looking for some palatial digs here in Washington, the late Ted Kennedy's mansion reportedly is up for sale and apparently it's too big for his video, Vicki, with seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and an exercise room designed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. "The Washington Post" says the estate can be viewed by appointment only. The price tag somewhere around $6 million. But you can negotiate. Remember, for the latest political news any time, you can check out CNNPolitics.com. And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, a shocking new revelation about the Army psychiatrist charged in the massacre at Fort Hood. His lawyer is now revealing that Major Nidal Hasan is paralyzed. Also, controversy erupts as the government announces plans for an unprecedented case. The confessed mastermind of the 911 terror attacks and four others will be brought from Guantanamo to New York City to face a civilian trial. And NASA announces a stunning discovering water on the moon. Where did it come from and what secrets might it reveal about us and the universe? I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.. We're getting the first detailed information about the condition of Army Major Nidal Hasan, accused of killing 13 people in the shooting rampage at Fort Hood. According to his lawyer, Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down apparently result of the gunshot wounds he suffered as police brought the massacre to a halt. CNN's Ed Lavandera is at Fort Hood with details Ed.
[Ed Lavandera, Cnn Correspondent:] Wolf, Nidal Hasan spent an hour meeting with his attorney Thursday afternoon, but it was the first time he had come face-to-face with anyone from his family since last week's massacre here at Fort Hood. And it was the first time that that family member learned that Hasan will likely never walk again.
[Col. John Galligan , Hasan Attorney:] He's not ambulatory. He's paralyzed, at least from the waist down. And my understanding is that there's no immediate likelihood that that's going to to change.
[Lavandera:] The attorney says that Hasan's speech is garbled. He's sometimes very difficult to understand and he got tired very quickly during Thursday's hour long meeting in San Antonio. The attorney also says that Hasan does have feeling in his hands, but it's extremely painful at this point. The attorney would not say which factually came to meet with him yesterday, but they did say that their private moments together were extremely emotional. And he also described the scene around the ICU room where Hasan is being held, he said flow in and out of the room is tightly controlled with three or four guards standing by around the clock Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Ed Lavandera is at Fort Hood for us. He's been there for several days. It's being called the single biggest challenge ever faced by the U.S. federal court system a trial for five accused plotters of the 911 attacks, including the confessed mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The attorney general, Eric Holder, says the five will be brought from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to face a civilian jury.
[Eric Holder, Attorney General:] After several years of delay, those allegedly responsible for the attacks of September the 11th will finally face justice. They will be brought to New York to New York to answer for their alleged crimes in a courthouse just blocks away from where the Twin Towers once stood. I am confident in the ability of our courts to provide these defendants a fair trial, just as they have for over 200 years.
[Blitzer:] The decision has set off a political firestorm. But what about the families of the victims? What do they think? Our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, has been speaking with some of them Susan, what are they saying?
[Susan Candiotti, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Wolf, you know, families always have differences and this is no different. While some relatives think it's a mistake, we heard from others who say trying the 911 suspects in a federal court is much better than a military commission at GITMO. Let's start with one 911 victim's father, who saw the suspects for himself at the Naval base in Cuba.
[Candiotti::] Eight years of waiting is eight years too long for retired firefighter Jim Riches. He wants the alleged 911 conspirators tried in New York. The attack killed his son, a fellow firefighter.
[Jim Riches, Victim's Father:] I just want to get this moving. You know, justice delayed is justice denied.
[Candiotti:] Riches is one of a handful of civilians who got a close-up look at suspected terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others at a Guantanamo courtroom last January. That's when KSM told a military judge he was the mastermind of 911. "We don't care about capital punishment or a life sentence," he said. "We are doing jihad for the cause of God."
[Riches:] When they called for jihad against America, they were proud of what they did. And, you know, here I am sitting there. The man that murdered my son is standing there saying that he's proud that he killed my son.
[Candiotti:] But another relative who lost his son says bringing the terror back to the scene of the crime will bring unbearable pain.
[Lee Lelpi, Victim's Father:] If you bring it back here, for me, my feelings, it's it's tasteless, it's insensitive and those scars, which have never been healed, are just going to be opened again. So I am not comfortable one iota with this call.
[Candiotti:] Kristin Breitweiser, who helped push for the independent 911 Commission, says New York is ready. She plans to attend the trial as often as she can.
[Kristen Breitweiser, Victim's Wife:] I think New Yorkers are certainly more than capable of handling it. And I think, again, it speaks to the very heart of who we are, not only as New Yorkers, but as American citizens. You know, if a crime is committed on our soil, you are going to be given a trial. You will be given access to an attorney. You'll be innocent until proven guilty.
[Candiotti:] Some worry about massive security needs, with worldwide focus on five terrorists a few blocks from ground zero.
[Comm. Ray Kelly, New York Police:] We are certainly prepared for any eventuality. We handle a lot of high profile events here. We had the blind sheikh's trial here, other high profile trials and events. That's what we do. So I think we're in excellent shape to handle it.
[Candiotti:] And we also asked the families, what about worries that the evidence will hold up? They say the Justice Department has assured them it will. A jury will decide Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Susan Candiotti, thanks very much. You're getting some mixed reaction there in New York City. Criticism of the decision, though, has been sharp and quick. Listen to Eric Holder's predecessor, the former attorney general, Michael Mukasey.
[Michael Mukasey, Former Attorney General:] A decision that I consider to be not only unwise, but, in fact, based on a refusal to face the fact that what we are involved with here is a war with people who followed who follow a religiously-based ideology that calls on them to kill us and to return, instead, to the mindset that prevailed before September 11, 2001, that that acts like the first World Trade Center bombing, the bombing of our embassies in East Africa and other such acts can and should be treated as conventional crimes and tried in conventional courts.
[Blitzer:] We're going to be speaking, also, with Alberto Gonzalez, the former Bush attorney general. He's got some strong views of all of this, as well. The trial of those five 911 suspects promises to be unlike anything ever seen before in federal court. It poses huge challenges. We're going to be getting some special insight from our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. That's coming up. And sanctions and alleged ties to Iran's nuclear program now revealed to be behind the U.S. government's seizure of mosques and Islamic schools. And the huge implications of NASA's stunning discovery on the moon.