The US has reached a plea agreement with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, and two co-defendants, according to the Department of Defense. The deal, which comes after 27 months of negotiations, removes the possibility of the death penalty for Mohammed, Walid Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa al Hawsawi.
In a letter obtained by CNN, prosecutors informed families of 9/11 victims and survivors that the three men have agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of 2,976 people listed in the charging sheet. The plea hearing could take place as early as next week.
"We recognize that the status of the case in general, and this news in particular, will understandably and appropriately elicit intense emotion," prosecutors wrote according to CNN, acknowledging that the decision would likely receive mixed reactions from family members who lost loved ones in the attacks.
The agreement avoids what would have been a complex and lengthy death penalty trial against Mohammed, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003. The military trial against him and his alleged co-conspirators had been delayed for years due to legal issues surrounding the use of evidence obtained through torture at secret CIA prisons in the 2000s. The trial date, originally set for January 11, 2021, was further postponed by the resignation of two judges and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the agreement, the defendants will participate in a sentencing hearing where prosecutors and defense attorneys will present evidence to argue for an appropriate sentence short of the death penalty. Family members of victims may have the opportunity to testify about the impact of the attacks and provide victim impact statements.
The plea deal also requires the defendants to answer written questions from surviving victims and victims' families about their roles and motivations for conducting the attacks. Families have 45 days to submit questions, which the alleged co-conspirators are expected to answer by the end of the year.
However, some families have expressed dissatisfaction with the plea agreements. Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, an organization representing survivors and family members, stated that they are "deeply troubled by these plea deals" and called for more information about Saudi Arabia's alleged involvement in the attacks.
The location where Mohammed and his co-defendants will serve their sentences remains unclear. The Biden administration has prioritized closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, where the defendants are currently held, but dozens of detainees still remain at the site.
