Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and two other men charged with plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks by al-Qaeda have agreed to plead guilty in the military commissions process, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The terms of the plea deals for the three men, who have been in custody since 2003, were not released, but they are expected to plead guilty to some charges, and potentially avoid death sentences as a result. The Office of Military Commission said the defendants will enter their pleas as early as next week at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In addition to Mohammed, the other men expected to plead guilty are Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The New York Times reported that the chief prosecutor in the case, Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh, in a letter to 9/11 victim family members, had written, “In exchange for the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three accused have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offenses, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet.”
Lengthy Legal Battle
The prosecution against the men and other defendants being held at Guantanamo Bay has dragged on for more than 16 years. The long delay is in large part the result of legal disputes over the admissibility of evidence obtained from the defendants while they were tortured in CIA detention sites.
Sept. 11 Terror Attacks
Almost 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, when four teams of terrorists hijacked four airliners in the United States, flying two of them into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, and the third plane into the Pentagon building. The fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers tried to break into the cockpit.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
In a shocking turn of events, accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, along with two other defendants, has agreed to plead guilty in the military commissions process. The potential guilty pleas of these individuals, who have been in custody since 2003, come as a surprise to many. The terms of the plea deals have not been disclosed, but it is anticipated that the defendants will plead guilty to some charges in order to avoid facing death sentences.
The defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, are expected to enter their guilty pleas as early as next week at Guantanamo Bay. The decision to plead guilty comes with the possibility of having the death penalty removed as a potential punishment for their crimes. This agreement was revealed in a letter written by Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor in the case, to the family members of 9/11 victims.
The legal battle surrounding the prosecution of these men has been ongoing for over 16 years, largely due to disputes over the admissibility of evidence obtained during their time in CIA detention sites. The gruesome events of September 11, 2001, resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 individuals, as terrorist teams hijacked airliners and carried out attacks on iconic landmarks in the United States.
As this story continues to develop, it is important to stay updated on the latest information regarding the guilty pleas of these accused individuals. The decision to admit guilt in connection with such horrific crimes will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the victims’ families, as well as for the broader sense of justice and closure surrounding the events of 9/11.
Leave a Reply