In a motion filed on January 20, prosecutors called for a 120-day suspension of proceedings in military tribunals, including those handling the cases against the 9/11 suspects and Canadian Omar Khadr. The prosecution request has since been granted in both cases.

The motion states that it was filed "in order to permit the newly inaugurated President and his administration the time to review the military commission process, generally, and the cases currently pending before the military commission, specifically".

In addition, by means of a draft executive order, President Obama has also pledged to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention centre within a year.

The President has wasted no time making some significant policy changes, also announcing salary freezes for White House employees earning more than US$100,000 a year.

- Zoe Lyon