Three of the five defendants accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday.
Three of the five 9/11 defendants at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday. @marykbruce reports. https://t.co/qZeLKN7tgp pic.twitter.com/mlOVpACAAR
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 31, 2024
Gary B. Sowards, Mohammed’s lead attorney, confirmed that the agreement excludes the death penalty, meaning his client will serve life in prison. The trial of these five conspirators has been stalled by legal delays for nearly a decade. Specific terms of the pre-trial agreement have not been disclosed by the DOD. Along with Mohammed, the other two conspirators accepting the plea deal are Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.
Families of 9/11 victims were notified of the plea deal earlier on Wednesday via a letter from Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor. The letter, obtained by ABC News, indicated that in exchange for the death penalty being removed, the three defendants would plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of 2,976 people. Their sentences will be determined by a panel of military officers.
As part of the agreement, the defendants will also answer questions from verified family members of 9/11 victims regarding their roles and motivations for the attacks. The defendants have 90 days to submit their responses.
Patrick White, a cousin of United 93 passenger Louis Nacke II, expressed his acceptance of the plea deal, stating, “I’ve made my peace with it.” White hoped for life imprisonment and an admission of guilt from the defendants.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed that the White House was informed about the plea agreements but emphasized that neither the president nor the White House was involved in the process.
🇺🇸 — NEW: Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged architect of the 9/11 attacks, and two co-defendants have decided to plead guilty in the military commissions process.
The details of the plea agreements remain undisclosed. The Office of Military Commissions announced that the… pic.twitter.com/lAgNt3e3tr
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) August 1, 2024
Two other defendants, Ammar al Baluchi and Ramzi bin al Shibh, did not participate in the plea agreement. Only al Baluchi could face trial proceedings, as a military judge ruled last September that bin al Shibh was mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, expressed concern about the plea deals, acknowledging the decision to avoid the death penalty but calling for more transparency and access to information from the defendants. The ACLU supported the decision, with executive director Anthony D. Romero stating that life imprisonment was the “right call” after nearly two decades of litigation, citing the U.S. government’s past defense of torture and unconstitutional military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay.
Last September, ABC News reported that President Joe Biden rejected a set of demands from the five defendants that included avoiding solitary confinement and receiving health treatment for injuries claimed to have resulted from CIA interrogation methods. These demands were intended as a basis for plea negotiations but were not accepted by Biden, who agreed with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s recommendation.
The 9/11 attacks, carried out by the Afghanistan-based terrorist group al-Qaida, resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and thousands of injuries. On the morning of September 11, 2001, two hijacked passenger jets crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, marking the beginning of a series of coordinated attacks against the United States.
Three of the five 9/11 terrorists, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to the Pentagon.
Details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Joe Biden makes deals with the devil. pic.twitter.com/NE0wAafGpS
— ZNO 🇺🇸 (@therealZNO) July 31, 2024
The five detainees were transferred to the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2006. Their case has been delayed by legal proceedings for years, with no trial date set.
Major Points:
- Three of the five 9/11 defendants at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have reached a plea agreement, avoiding the death penalty and resulting in life imprisonment.
- Families of 9/11 victims were informed of the plea deal via a letter from Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh, indicating the defendants will plead guilty to all charges and answer questions from family members about their roles in the attacks.
- The White House confirmed its awareness of the plea agreements but stated that neither the president nor the administration was involved in the process.
- The ACLU supported the decision, while Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and access to information from the defendants.
- The 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths. Legal proceedings for the five detainees, transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006, have faced significant delays, with no trial date set.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
