The US government has reached a plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the Defense Department announced. This agreement circumvents a protracted death penalty trial.
Peter Bergen, a terrorism expert and CNN analyst, noted that the plea deal was a pragmatic solution to a case that has been stalled for over two decades since Mohammed’s 2003 capture in Pakistan.
Mohammed, charged in 2008 with numerous crimes including conspiracy and murder, faced a delayed military trial due to legal complications surrounding the use of torture during interrogations at CIA black sites.
The trial, initially scheduled to start in January 2021, was postponed multiple times due to judicial resignations and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three defendants will still face a sentencing hearing where both sides will present evidence to argue for an appropriate sentence, short of the death penalty. This hearing is expected to take place next summer.
Victims’ families have been invited to submit questions to the defendants about their roles in the attacks, with a 45-day window to provide these questions. Prosecutors will meet with the families in person to discuss the plea agreements.
Some victims’ families have expressed dissatisfaction with the plea agreements. Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, emphasized the need for transparency and access to information about Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the attacks.
Terry Strada, national chair for 9/11 Families United, criticized the timing of the plea deal announcement, which coincided with a significant court hearing in the families’ litigation against Saudi Arabia.
It remains unclear where Mohammed and his co-defendants will serve their sentences. The Biden administration aims to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, where the defendants are currently held.
The plea deal, reached after 27 months of negotiations, removes the death penalty for Mohammed, Walid Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa al Hawsawi. They are expected to plead guilty to all charges at a hearing as early as next week.
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