President George W Bush has signed an executive order to establish the framework for special US military courts to try foreigners accused in the September 11th attack and similar assaults.
The executive order directs the Secretary of Defense, Mr Donald Rumsfeld to set up the tribunals, White House counsel Mr Al Gonzales said.
The order does not name anybody who would be subject to prosecution in the military courts and does not apply to Americans, he said.
The president would make a separate independent finding that someone was a member of a terrorist organization like al Qaeda and that it was in the interests of the United States that the person be prosecuted, Mr Gonzales said.
That person would then be delivered to the secretary of defense who would take control of the individual.
Mr Gonzales said the order gave the president "an additional tool" for bringing terrorists to justice.
AP