US reaches plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed | CNN Politics

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses a plea deal reached between the US government and the alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, along with two other defendants accused of plotting the 2001 terror attacks. The deal takes the death penalty off the table for the defendants, who have agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charging sheet.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Plea Deal Details

1. What are the key details of the plea deal reached between the US government and the alleged 9/11 plotters?

• The plea deal was reached after 27 months of negotiations and takes the death penalty off the table for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa al Hawsawi.
• The three men have agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charging sheet.
• The plea agreement avoids a long and complicated death penalty trial against Mohammed.
• As part of the agreement, the defendants agreed to answer written questions from the surviving victims and victims' families about their roles and reasons for conducting the attacks.

2. What is the timeline for the next steps in this case?

• The three alleged conspirators will face a sentencing hearing, which will not occur before next summer.
• The families now have 45 days to submit questions to be answered by the alleged co-conspirators by the end of the year.
• Prosecutors plan to travel to meet with the families in person this fall to discuss the plea agreements.

[02] Reactions and Concerns

1. How have some 9/11 victim families reacted to the news of the plea deal?

• Some families are "deeply troubled by these plea deals" and are pushing for more information about Saudi Arabia's involvement in the attacks.
• Brett Eagleson, the president of 9/11 Justice, an organization that represents 9/11 survivors and family members of victims, expressed concern that the plea deals could "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."
• Terry Strada, the national chair for 9/11 Families United, said the news came as a "gut punch" and expressed concern that the plea deal news will overshadow the newly unsealed evidence in the families' ongoing litigation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2. What are the concerns raised about the timing of the plea deal announcement?

• Terry Strada expressed suspicion about the timing of the plea deal announcement, as it came on the same day as a daylong hearing in the families' ongoing litigation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Strada said, "No family member knew this was coming. I'm very suspicious of the timing of it. This is the biggest day in our entire case. Biggest day in 23 years of trying to obtain justice for the murder of our loved ones. And they offer those guys a plea deal."