WASHINGTON, USA: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind Al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks, has agreed to plead guilty, according to the Defence Department.
This development aims to bring resolution to an attack that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and significantly impacted the United States and the Middle East.
Mohammed, along with accomplices Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa Al-Hawsawi, is expected to enter the pleas at the military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, soon. Defence lawyers have requested life sentences in exchange for the guilty pleas, as confirmed by letters from the federal government to families of the 9/11 victims.
Terry Strada, leader of a group representing some of the victims’ families, criticized the defendants, calling them cowards both during the attacks and now. Pentagon officials have not disclosed the full terms of the plea agreements yet.
This agreement comes over 16 years after their prosecution began and more than two decades after the attacks. The September 11 attacks involved Al-Qaeda hijackers seizing four commercial airliners, using them as weapons to strike the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. A fourth plane, intended for a target in Washington, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control.
The attacks led to the U.S. initiating the “war on terror,” resulting in military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and ongoing operations against extremist groups in the Middle East. The aftermath included the overthrow of governments, widespread devastation, and the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.
U.S. authorities have long identified Mohammed as the architect of the 9/11 plan, allegedly approved by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Captured in 2003, Mohammed was subjected to severe torture, including waterboarding 183 times, during CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay. The use of torture has complicated the legal proceedings, as evidence obtained under duress is inadmissible, contributing to delays in the trial.
Daphne Eviatar of Amnesty International USA expressed a desire for accountability but also called for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. She urged the Biden administration to ensure that state-sanctioned torture and other abuses are never repeated.
Strada, chairperson of 9/11 Families United, expressed disappointment over the plea deal, stating that many families wanted to see a trial and appropriate punishment. Michael Burke, another family member, criticized the prolonged wait for justice and the plea deal’s leniency.
The plea agreements, expected to bring some closure, have reignited debates on justice, accountability, and the handling of terrorist suspects in U.S. custody. The families of the victims continue to grapple with the long journey toward a resolution.
