The mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, fearing death, reaches a plea deal 20 years after his capture | WPN World People News

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, along with two other co-conspirators, has been imprisoned at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since 2003. On the 31st of last month, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the suspects had reached a plea deal with the prosecution to avoid the death penalty and receive other sentences instead. Mohammed, who was bin Laden's deputy and studied in the United States, agreed to plead guilty, admitting that he planned the entire 9/11 incident.

A spokesperson for the Office of Military Commissions (OMC), which is prosecuting the case, confirmed that besides the accused mastermind Mohammed, the other two defendants, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, also signed plea agreements.

The 9/11 attacks over 20 years ago resulted in 2,976 deaths. In a letter to the victims' families, the OMC's chief prosecutor stated, "The three defendants agreed to plead guilty to planning the 9/11 attacks, including the murder of 2,976 people. They are expected to plead guilty at a plea hearing as soon as next week." While this outcome may not fully satisfy the victims' families, the OMC believes it is the best way to achieve justice in a case that has been delayed for two decades. This is due to the fact that the three were subjected to torture by the CIA after being captured in Pakistan, and the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture in court has been a major issue. The plea deal is seen as the best way for both parties to achieve their goals.