The organizer of the September 11 attacks admitted his guilt and will now avoid the death penalty

The US has reached a plea agreement with alleged 11/2001 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others accused of plotting the XNUMX attacks, according to the Department of Defense. CNN.

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The pre-trial agreement, reached after 27 months of negotiations, eliminates the possibility of the death penalty for Mohammed, Waleed bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, prosecutors said in a letter sent to families of 11/31 victims and survivors shortly before the Defense Department announced the news on the evening of XNUMX July.

After negotiations began in March 2022, the three men agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of the 2976 people listed in the indictment, families were told.

A plea hearing could take place as early as next week.

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“We recognize that the status of the case in general, and this news in particular, will understandably cause strong emotions, and we also understand that the decision to enter into a pre-trial agreement will cause mixed reactions among thousands of family members who have lost loved ones,” the prosecutor’s office said in the letter. “The decision to enter into a pre-trial agreement after 12 years of pre-trial proceedings was not easy. However, in our overall professional judgment, it is the best way to achieve a fair conclusion to this matter."

Lesser Evil

The plea agreement avoids the lengthy and complicated trial that would be inevitable if Muhammad were to be sentenced to death.

"This is the least evil that can be achieved in the real world," said Peter Bergen, a terrorism and national security analyst for CNN who has written extensively about Osama bin Laden.

The government faces a difficult task: the case has been stalled for two decades since Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 for his alleged involvement in terrorist attacks.

“It was still in the pre-trial hearing phase,” Bergen said. “It’s better to make at least some kind of deal.”

In 2008, Mohammed was charged with a number of charges, including conspiracy, murder in violation of the laws of war, assault on civilians, attack on civilian objects, intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, destruction of property in violation of the laws of war and terrorism. The US has said it will seek the death penalty for Mohammed.

But the military trial of Mohammed and his alleged accomplices was delayed for years as the US tried to determine how to resolve the question of torture inflicted on Mohammed and others in secret CIA prisons in the 2000s. The issue presented a legal challenge for prosecutors as to whether evidence obtained through torture was admissible in court.

The trial was scheduled to begin on January 11, 2021, but delays caused by the resignation of two judges and the coronavirus pandemic pushed the date back again.

The case against the three defendants will continue to be heard, the court must pronounce a reasonable verdict, which, however, does not include the death penalty. The hearing won't take place until next summer.

During the hearing, family members of those killed and injured in the attack will have the opportunity to testify about how the attack affected them. The evidence will help guide sentencing, prosecutors said in a letter sent to family members of 11/XNUMX victims.

As part of the agreement, the defendants agreed to answer written questions. Now the victims' families have 45 days to formulate these questions. The defendants will have to answer them by the end of the year. Representatives from the prosecutor's office plan to hold personal meetings with the affected families this fall.

Families of the victims opposed the agreement

Some families opposed the plea agreements. Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, an organization representing 11/XNUMX survivors and victims' family members, said the families are "deeply troubled by these plea deals" and are demanding more information about Saudi Arabia's involvement in the attacks.

“While we acknowledge the decision to avoid the death penalty, our primary concern remains access to these individuals for information. Plea agreements should not turn into closed deals. Important information that could give victims' families the opportunity to know the whole truth cannot be withheld. Eagleson said. “We urge the administration to ensure that these deals do not close the door to critical information that could shed light on Saudi Arabia's role in the 11/XNUMX attacks.” Our commitment to justice will not weaken until the full truth is revealed and justice is served for the victims and their families.”

Terri Strada, chairwoman of 9/11 Families United, said the news was a punch to the gut as she walked out of the Manhattan federal courthouse on July 31 after the trial.

Strada said she was concerned that news of the guilty plea would overshadow newly discovered evidence that could help the victims' families hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged role in the terror plot. The kingdom denies any involvement in the attacks.

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It is not yet clear where Muhammad and his co-defendants will serve their sentences.

The Biden administration has set itself the goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, a military prison run by the U.S. military where defendants were held, and repatriating several detainees no longer considered a serious threat to national security. But dozens of detainees still remain in the facility.

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