The US has reached a plea deal with three men behind the September 11 attacks, the Pentagon announced. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the planner of the 2001 al Qaeda attacks, and two accomplices, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, agreed to plead guilty. They are held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
More topics for you.This topic continues below.
Sara Duterte Denies threats, skips questioning on alleged plot against President Marcos
Trump's DOJ secretly obtained phone records of FBI Pick Kash Patel, Lawmakers, Staffers, and Journalists in a Leak Probe
The Pentagon did not provide details of the plea deal. However, a US official said the deals likely involve guilty pleas in exchange for removing the death penalty. The men are expected to enter their pleas at the Guantanamo Bay military court next week. Defense lawyers have asked for life sentences in exchange for the guilty pleas.
The US agreement comes over 20 years after the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Militants crashed two hijacked planes into the World Trade Center, bringing down the twin towers. Another plane hit the Pentagon. These attacks led to US wars against extremist groups, reshaping the Middle East.
Terry Strada, national chairwoman of 9/11 Families United, expressed disappointment. Many families wanted to see the men admit guilt, but she hoped for a trial and punishment. She called the attackers cowards. Many relatives of victims have died waiting for justice.
Authorities captured Mohammed in 2003. He was waterboarded 183 times in CIA custody before being sent to Guantanamo. Torture has been a major obstacle in prosecuting the men, as evidence from abuse is not allowed. This has delayed proceedings, along with the courtroom's location far from the US.
Michael Burke, who lost his brother in the attacks, condemned the long wait for justice. He found it disgraceful that the attackers, 23 years later, had not been convicted and punished. US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also condemned the plea deals, accusing the Biden administration of cowardice.
The population of Guantanamo Bay has decreased from a peak of 800 prisoners to 30 today. The detention facility, set up in 2002 by then-President George W. Bush, continues to house foreign militant suspects.
