Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 defendants reach plea deal with US

Three men strike agreement to plead guilty and avoid death penalty

A US military guard post in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. AP

The US government announced on Wednesday that it had reached plea agreements with three men accused of involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa Al Hawsawi, being held by the US in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, have agreed to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, The New York Times reported.

The three men “have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offences, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet”, said a letter signed by Admiral Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor for military commissions.

The letter was addressed to family members of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

It said the men could submit their pleas in open court as early as next week.

The three accused, along with two other defendants, were initially charged jointly and arraigned on June 5, 2008, according to a release by the US Department of Defence.

They were again charged jointly and arraigned a second time on May 5, 2012, in connection with their alleged roles in the September 11 attacks.

The defendants have been accused of a multitude of crimes, including murder, terrorism and plane hijacking.

Mr Mohammed, a US-educated engineer, is the alleged mastermind behind the attacks.

The three men and two others previously presented plea conditions last September, but these were rejected by the administration of President Joe Biden.