Message #197074

[Psycho]

Holder also admitted that the prosecution of Mohammed for his role in the shocking attacks that cost the nation untold billions of dollars "kind of took a backseat" to other pressing issues, such as the gay-marriage debate, the middle-school graduation of Holder's teenage daughter, Lost, and gripping national news stories such as the Terri Schiavo legal battle.

"And then there was that poor woman who got mauled by the chimpanzee," said Holder, shaking his head. "Just imagine what that must have been like."

When asked by reporters what specifically triggered the Justice Department's renewed interest in Mohammed, Holder answered that it stemmed primarily from the discovery of a key document related to the case.

"About a month ago, I was staring at this mountain of papers in front of me, and I said to myself, 'Okay, Eric. Enough is enough. You have got to clean off this desk,'" Holder said. "And right there underneath all the clutter was some newspaper story from 2003 about how we had finally caught the mass murderer who orchestrated the most gruseome and dramatic terrorist attack of the modern era. I was like, 'Oh, yeah!' and the rest is history."

Friends and family of those who died on 9/11 expressed both relief and surprise at yesterday's announcement.

"I remember it being absolutely gut- wrenching at the time, but, to be honest, after eight long years I'd sort of forgotten about tracking the killers down," said Linda Mayhew, whose brother perished when hijackers under the command of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. "But, come to think of it, some closure would be pretty nice."

In addition to prosecuting Mohammed, believed to be the No. 3 man in the entire al-Qaeda network, the Obama administration also announced that it remains fully committed to capturing the group's most dangerous and senior leader. Although no specifics were provided, a White House spokesman assured reporters yesterday that the U.S. would soon "catch that Ben Ladit guy."