A major legacy of Holder 's tenure as attorney general was a shifting of terrorism cases to the civilian federal courts . Under Holder , the DOJ successfully tried many terrorists in federal court , securing convictions and life sentences against a string of defendants , including Sulaiman Abu Ghaith ( Osama bin Laden 's spokesman ) ; Ahmed Ghailani ( a conspirator in the 1998 East Africa bombings ) ; and Abu Hamza ( an al-Qaeda operative ) . Faisal Shahzad ( the attempted Times Square bomber ) ; and Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab ( the failed " underwear bomber " ) pleaded guilty in federal court and were sentenced to life imprisonment during Holder 's term . During Holder 's term , other terrorists &mdash; including Najibullah Zazi ( who plotted a New York subway attack ) , and Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame ( an al-Shabab supporter ) pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government . Matt Olsen , the director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 2011 to 2014 , wrote in 2015 : " Through his persistence , Holder demonstrated the wisdom and value of prosecuting terrorists in civilian courts and cemented this approach for future administrations . " In November 2009 , Holder announced that September 11 attack co-conspirators &mdash; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , Ramzi Bin al-Shibh , Walid bin Attash , Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi &mdash; would be tried in New York City on federal charges of conspiracy and murder . Holder said at the time that the five would " stand trial in our justice system before an impartial jury under long-established rules and procedures . " This plan was frustrated by Congress , however , and " congressional restrictions on transferring Guantánamo detainees to federal court had delayed the case indefinitely . " In April 2011 , Holder was forced to drop plans for a federal trial and instead refer the five to military commissions ; at the time , Holder criticized Congress for interfering in the prosecution , saying : " Congress has taken one of the nation 's most tested counterterrorism tools off the table and tied our hands in a way that would have serious ramifications . " The military commissions remain " mired in procedural delays , legal uncertainty and continued controversy " today
September 11 attack
September 11 attacks
Eric Holder