Khalid Shaikh Mohammed strikes plea deal over planning of 9/11 assaults

Three men accused of plotting the September 11 attacks, including the alleged architect, have agreed to plea deals after decades in US detention.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawasawi have all agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence. 

The New York Times reported on Wednesday evening that the pleas, which will see the men dodge a death penalty trial, have been approved by Pentagon officials.

All three men have been in custody in Guantanamo Bay since 2003. Mohammed is an al Qaeda militant accused of being the principal architect of the Sept. 11 attacks.

In a letter to family members of September 11 victims, chief prosecutor Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh said: ‘In exchange for the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three accused have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offenses, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet.

This Saturday March 1, 2003, shows Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan

The letter, seen by the Times, said the men could submit their pleas in open court as early as next week, according to the Times.

The Defense Department released a statement on Wednesday saying prosecutors had reached plea agreements with the men, without disclosing the terms.

The prosecution of the menhas been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the interrogation under torture that the men initially underwent while in CIA custody.