Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, has agreed to plead guilty, the Defense Department announced on Wednesday.
This development points to a long-delayed resolution in an attack that killed nearly 3,000 people and drastically altered the course of the United States and the Middle East.
Mohammed, along with two alleged accomplices Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa Al-Hawsawi, are expected to enter their guilty pleas at the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as soon as next week. Defense lawyers have requested the men receive life sentences in exchange for the guilty pleas.
The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were a turning point in modern history. The devastating strikes triggered the U.S. “war on terror”, leading to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and years of military operations against extremist groups in the Middle East.
The attacks also inspired a more militaristic and nationalist shift in American society and culture.
Authorities have long accused Mohammed as the key architect of the 9/11 plot, stating he received approval from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to devise the plan using hijacked commercial airliners as weapons.
Mohammed was captured in 2003 and was subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, while in CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo.
The use of torture has been a major obstacle in efforts to prosecute the 9/11 suspects, as the evidence obtained through these methods is inadmissible. This, along with the remote location of the Guantanamo military tribunal, has contributed to the drawn-out legal proceedings.
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Relatives of 9/11 victims have expressed mixed reactions to the plea deal, with some welcoming some form of accountability, while others are disappointed they will not see the defendants face a full trial and potential death sentence.
The lengthy wait for justice has been a source of frustration for many family members.
The Biden administration is facing calls to finally close the controversial Guantanamo detention center, which still holds detainees from the so-called “war on terror.”
Advocacy groups are also urging the government to ensure such “state-sanctioned enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment” never happens again.
