Washington ( CNN ) -- The Obama administration is drafting new plans to hold suspected terrorists without trial indefinitely but allow them to challenge their imprisonment periodically , a White House official said Tuesday . A proposed executive order would cover prisoners who ca n't be tried in civilian courts or before the military commissions set up at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , said the official , who spoke on condition of anonymity . The official provided few details , since the draft had not yet been presented to President Barack Obama . But the official said Obama had pledged in May 2009 to give suspected terrorists some recourse . `` We must have clear , defensible and lawful standards for those who fall in this category , '' Obama said in a 2009 speech at the National Archives . `` We must have fair procedures so that we do n't make mistakes . We must have a thorough process of periodic review , so that any prolonged detention is carefully evaluated and justified . '' The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that captives held at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay could challenge their detention . But the decision gave no specific guidelines on how often accused terrorists could make their claims . The latest proposal could be aimed at securing political support for the Obama administration as it ponders whether to bring top al Qaeda figures such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the accused architect of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on New York and Washington , to the United States for trial in a civilian court .
The order would give suspects a chance to review their detention . The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that suspects had a right to review .