U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States will resume using military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility.

The announcement said the Obama administration remains committed to closing the controversial detention facility, but will rescind its previous suspension on bringing new charges before military commissions.

The commissions are military proceedings rather than trials in civilian courts.

Obama previously pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay facility within a year of taking office in January 2009. However, it still is open due to legal complexities involving the status of some detainees and congressional opposition to holding trials for high-profile suspects in U.S. criminal courts.