Prosecutors have reached plea deals with three of the masterminds behind the September 11 terror attacks, according to the Department of Defense (DOD). The individuals involved are Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The terms of the agreements have not been made public, but these suspects will not face the death penalty.
These individuals are accused of providing training, financial support, and other assistance to the terrorists who carried out the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, marking one of the worst terrorist incidents in U.S. history. Family members of the victims have expressed disappointment and outrage upon learning about the plea deals.
Jim Smith, a retired police officer and husband of Moira Smith, who was the only female police officer to die on 9/11, expressed his frustration, stating that he feels like justice has been denied. Other family members, like Daniel D’Allara, who lost his twin brother in the attacks, also voiced their disappointment in the government’s decision not to pursue the death penalty.
President Biden had previously rejected a plea deal that would have spared the 9/11 architects and co-conspirators from facing capital punishment. The prisoners had requested certain conditions to be met, such as not being held in solitary confinement and being allowed to interact with other detainees. They also wanted access to medical treatment for conditions they claim were caused by CIA interrogations.
The three men, along with two others, were charged in connection with the attacks in 2008 and 2012. They are set to be sentenced in Guantánamo Bay on August 5th. The families of the victims continue to seek justice and closure for the heinous crimes committed on that fateful day.
