Architect of 9/11 attacks Khalid Shaikh Mohammed strikes plea deal to avoid death penalty after terror mastermind spent decades at Guantanamo Bay
Three men accused of planning the September 11 attacks, including their alleged architect, have agreed to plea deals after spending decades in U.S. custody.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawasawi have all agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for life sentences.
The New York Times reported Wednesday night that the requests, which would allow the men to avoid a death penalty trial, had been approved by Pentagon officials.
All three men have been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003. Mohammed is an Al Qaeda militant accused of being the chief architect of the September 11 attacks.
In a letter to families of the 9/11 victims, Chief U.S. Attorney General Aaron Rugh wrote: “In exchange for the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three defendants have agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of the 2,976 individuals named in the indictment.
This Saturday, March 1, 2003, shows Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, shortly after his arrest during a raid in Pakistan
The letter, seen by the Times, says the men can enter their pleas in open court next week, the Times reported.
The Defense Department released a statement Wednesday saying prosecutors had reached a settlement with the men, but the terms were not disclosed.
The persecution of the menhas faced repeated delays and legal disputes, particularly over the legal implications of the interrogation in which the men were tortured while in CIA custody.