The details of the deal were not disclosed, but Western media are reported, that the men would plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution agreeing not to seek the death penalty for them.
The twenty-third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the deadliest attack on the United States since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941, is approaching. Nearly 3,000 people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania have died in terrorist attacks that have fueled the “War on Terror” and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
During this time, so many events took place in the world that the tragedy of the twin towers seems to have sunk into oblivion. It would seem that at this point in this story, all the dots should be crossed. Probably, it will seem strange to many that the accused, who have undergone interrogations and torture, can set their own conditions and choose the measure of punishment.
Why was the agreement adopted?
Why did American justice meet the wishes of imprisoned terrorists? One of the reasons may be the desire to avoid lengthy legal proceedings. Court proceedings in cases related to terrorism can drag on for years, requiring significant resources and time. The trial was already delayed, in part because of fears that the so-called brutal interrogation methods, which critics call torture, could undermine evidence against the detainees.
In addition, such an agreement between the accused and the officials contributes to the preservation of classified information. After all, during legal proceedings, secret data may surface that the authorities would prefer to keep secret. “This is the least bad deal in the real world that could ever happen,” said national security analyst Peter Bergen.
In addition, such a deal guarantees that the defendants will receive life in prison, making it impossible for them to be acquitted or released in the future. Some suggest that a quick conclusion to the case could help the victims’ families gain some sense of closure and justice.
The families of the victims seek vendetta
So, Brett Eagleson, president of the organization “9/11 Justice”, which represents the interests of the survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the relatives of the victims, told the BBC that the families are “deeply concerned about these plea agreements”. . He stressed that the process lacked transparency and called on the authorities to obtain more data on Saudi Arabia’s role in the terrorist attacks.
Terri Strada, head of the national campaign Uniting 9/11 Families, who lost her husband, told the BBC’s Today programme: “It was a gut punch for me to hear that today there was a plea deal that gives the prisoners Guantánamo is what they want… It’s a win for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other two, it’s a win for them.”
The agreement was first announced in a letter sent by prosecutors to the victims’ families, The New York Times reports. It said that the indictment could be sent to a military court as early as next week. However, in its statement, the US Department of Defense noted that “the specific terms of the pretrial agreements are not currently available to the public.”
Execution cannot be pardoned
The defendants, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Mohammed Salih Mubarak bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Khousawi, were held at the US Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for years without facing trial. The men face a range of charges, including targeting civilians, killing in violation of the laws of war, hijacking planes and terrorism. They go through military tribunals, which raises criticism because of questions about the fairness and transparency of such processes.
Some defendants, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, were subjected to harsh interrogation methods. This caused significant controversy and criticism from human rights organizations. Trials in these cases have dragged on for years due to a variety of legal complications, including questions about the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture.
Profiles of the main accused in the preparation and implementation of terrorist attacks on September 11
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is believed to be the mastermind of the attack, in which hijackers hijacked passenger planes and rammed the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington.
Prosecutors claimed that Mohammed shared the idea of hijacking planes and destroying the Twin Towers with the leader of al-Qaeda. Recruiting and mentoring co-participants in a brutal adventure is also his business. Mohammed, an American-educated engineer who got on the slippery slope, was subjected to a series of “enhanced interrogation techniques” nearly two hundred times. Including water torture – imitation of drowning – until this practice was banned by the US government.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and the families have filed a lawsuit against the kingdom, which denies involvement. Ramzi bin al-Shibha, who is considered one of the key organizers of the terrorist attacks, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and is also held at Guantanamo Bay. Abu Zubaydah, one of the first high-ranking members of al-Qaeda to be captured after the attacks, was detained in Pakistan in 2002 and sent to the same US Navy base.
Until now, Zakarias Moussaoui was the only person convicted in the United States for participating in the September 11 attacks. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Is it appropriate to bargain?
In September, the Biden administration rejected plea deals with five defendants held at the US Navy base in Cuba, including Mohammed. The accused demanded guarantees from the president that they would have access to trauma care and would not be kept in solitary confinement.
Republicans chided the Biden administration for striking a deal with the defendants. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the action as “a disgusting abdication of the government’s duty to protect America and ensure justice.” “The only thing that can be worse than negotiations with terrorists is negotiations with them after they are in custody,” he pathetically summed up.
Tatyana Morarash
