Accused mastermind of 9/11 agrees to plead guilty

The alleged mastermind of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and two other defendants have agreed to plead guilty, the US Department of Defence announced on Wednesday, reported dpa.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-accused are part of the deal, which could see them avoid the death penalty, according to US media reports.

The specific terms and conditions of the pre-trial agreements were “not available to the public at this time”, the department said.

The Sept 11 terrorist attacks involved four passenger jets that were hijacked and used to target the World Trade Centre in New York City and the Pentagon outside Washington DC.

Almost 3,000 people were killed.

Khalid (above) is believed to be the mastermind behind the attacks, coordinating communication and financing for the operation.

He was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and subsequently interrogated by the CIA. 

According to a US Senate report, he was tortured during the interrogations.

In 2006, Khalid was transferred to the infamous US prison camp at Guantánamo, where he was slated to face trial before a military tribunal for his involvement.

However, the trial against him and multiple co-defendants had been delayed for several years.

Former president George W Bush established the prison at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba to hold suspected terrorists following the attacks.

Despite calls from human rights organisations for its closure, a small number of detainees are still being held there.

- Bernama

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