9/11 masterminds may never get death penalty as US federal government reviewing new plea agreements

Suspected masterminds behind the 9/11 terror attacks might escape the possibility of the death penalty, as new plea agreements are currently under review. The Pentagon and FBI have informed families of some of the thousands killed in the attacks that these agreements are being thought about. This is an attempt to bring an end to their prosecution, which has stretched over a decade. This development has caused displeasure among a section of family members who lost nearly 3,000 loved ones directly due to the terror strikes. According to reports, a letter sent to several families, stated: “The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been in negotiations and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements.” Although a plea deal has not been finalized and might never be, there’s a chance that such an agreement could rule out the death penalty. This decision could have implications for various cases, including that of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is being detained as the suspected architect of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania. Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son Jimmy in the 9/11 incident, expressed his doubts to AP, saying, ‘How can you have any faith in it?’ Riches, a retired deputy fire chief in New York City, further added, “No matter how many letters they send, until I see it, I won’t believe it.” Initially supportive of military tribunals, he now believes the process is failing and that the 9/11 defendants should be tried in civilian courts. The notice about a potential plea deal comes more than 11 years after military prosecutors and defense lawyers first started exploring a negotiated resolution to the case. The prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others held at the notorious US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been marred by repeated delays and legal disputes. This is especially due to controversies surrounding the interrogation methods involving torture that the men were subjected to while in CIA custody. The five defendants were apprehended at different times and places in 2002 and 2003 and were sent to Guantanamo for trial in 2006. A network of bereaved families has formed an organization that insists any plea agreement should permit their lawyers to question the defendants about their involvement in 9/11. Senior Saudi officials have denied any involvement by Saudi Arabia. Peter Brady, whose father was killed in the attack, stressed the importance of holding people responsible and criticized the plea deal for taking that away. He emphasized that the case should go through the legal process instead of being settled through a plea agreement. On September 11, 2001, conspirators from the al-Qaida militant group commandeered airplanes and struck New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon near Washington. A fourth plane was en route to Washington but crashed in Pennsylvania after crew members and passengers attempted to regain control of the cockpit. According to the United States’ 9/11 Commission, it was Mohammed who initially proposed the idea of such an attack on the United States to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden granted him permission to orchestrate what eventually became the 9/11 attacks. The four other defendants are accused of aiding the hijackers in various ways. The 9/11 hearings have been on hold while military officials assess the competency of one of the defendants to stand trial. Hearings are scheduled to resume on September 18 this year.