Three of the men accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks have entered into a pre-trial agreement, the US Department of Defence announced. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, who have been held at Guantanamo Bay for years, will plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution not seeking the death penalty.
The terms of the plea deal have not been disclosed yet, but the men are expected to formally submit their pleas in court as early as next week. The accused face charges including attacking civilians, murder, hijacking, and terrorism.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, considered the mastermind behind the attacks, brought the idea of hijacking planes and crashing them into US buildings to Osama bin Laden. He was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques” before the practice was banned.
The decision to accept the plea deal was described as the “best path to justice” by chief prosecutor Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh. However, the Biden administration reportedly rejected a similar plea deal with five other detainees at Guantanamo Bay in September.
Families of the victims expressed disappointment at not being able to have their day in court, with one individual stating that the accused should receive the “highest penalty” for their roles in the attacks. Republicans also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating with the accused, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it a “revolting abdication of the government’s responsibility to defend America and provide justice.”
