The families of victims of 9/11 said they were ‘deeply troubled’ after the architect of the attacks and two others agreed to plea deals after decades in US detention.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawasawi have all agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday evening that the pleas, which will see the men dodge a death penalty trial, have been approved by Pentagon officials.
‘We are deeply troubled by these plea deals. While we acknowledge the decision to avoid the death penalty, our primary concern remains access to these individuals for information,’ said 9/11 Justice President Brett Eagleson.
‘These plea deals should not perpetuate a system of closed-door agreements, where crucial information is hidden without giving the families of the victims the chance to learn the full truth.’
This Saturday March 1, 2003, shows Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan
All three men have been in US custody at Guantanamo Bay since the early 2000s. Mohammed, an al Qaeda militant, has been accused of being the principal architect of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The families of the 9/11 victims were concerned that the plea deal could stall the investigation and prevent them from learning who was really behind the attacks.
‘We need to know the extent of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks. This is not just about punishment, it is about uncovering the truth and ensuring justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives on that tragic day,’ Eagleson wrote.
‘Our stance is clear: if a deal is to be made, it must ensure that we obtain the vital evidence these individuals possess.
‘We urge the administration to ensure that these deals do not close the door on obtaining critical information that can shed light on Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 attacks. Our quest for justice will not waver until the full truth is revealed, and justice is served for the victims and their families.’
Hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes at 9:03 a.m. on September 11
Chief prosecutor Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh sent a letter to family members of September 11 victims that explained the plea agreement.
‘In exchange for the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three accused have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offenses, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet,’ Rugh wrote.
The letter, seen by the Times, said the men could submit their pleas in open court as early as next week.
The Defense Department released a statement on Wednesday saying prosecutors had reached plea agreements with the men, without disclosing the terms.
The prosecution of the men has been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the interrogation under torture that the men initially underwent while in CIA custody.
The Pentagon and the FBI advised families of the victims last August that the death penalty may have to be taken off the table in the prosecution of the men.
They were captured at various times and places in 2002 and 2003 and sent to Guantanamo for trial in 2006.
On September 11, 2001, conspirators from al-Qaida seized control of airplanes and hit New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon near Washington.
On September 11, 2001, conspirators from al-Qaida seized control of airplanes and hit New York’s World Trade Center, seen here, and the Pentagon near Washington
The New York Times reported on Wednesday evening that the pleas, which will see the men dodge a death penalty trial, have been approved by Pentagon officials. Walid Bin Attash, left, and Mustafa al Hawsawi, right, are seen here
A fourth plane was headed for Washington but crashed in Pennsylvania after crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit.
It was Mohammed who presented the very idea of such an attack on the United States to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Mohammed also received authorization from bin Laden to craft what became the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States’ 9/11 Commission concluded.
The other defendants are alleged to have supported the hijackers in various other ways.
Mohammed was captured alongside Hawsawi in March 2003 before being held in CIA prisons until their transfer to Guantanamo in 2006.
Officially, the casualty count associated with the attacks is numbered at 2,996 – including 2,977 victims and 19 hijackers.
People run away as the North Tower of World Trade Center collapses on September 11, 2001
Firefighters walk towards one of the tower at the World Trade Center before it collapsed
Thousands more were injured, and New York bore the brunt of the death toll – with an estimated 1,600 victims in the North Tower and another thousand in the South.
Two of the original five defendants were not part of the new plea deal, Ramzi bin al-Shibh was found incompetent to stand trial because of mental illness.
Al-Shibh was accused of helping to organize a cell of hijackers in Hamburg, Germany, while Ammar al-Baluchi was also not part of the plea agreement.
Al-Baluchi is the nephew of Mohammed and is charged with helping the hijackers with finances and travel arrangements.
