Defense Department Reaches Plea Agreement With Three Defendants From 9/11 Attacks

Three defendants allegedly involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks have reached a plea agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DOD) after years of imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay.

The coordinated suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda on American soil in 2001 claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, leaving many thousands more injured.

Mohammad, a mechanical engineer of Kuwaiti-Pakistani descent, is accused of being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. As the former head of al-Qaeda’s propaganda department, he allegedly presented the concept of hijacking planes and crashing them into U.S. buildings to Osama bin Laden in 1996. He later provided training for some of the hijackers.

Hawsawi has been accused of assisting the hijackers with financial and travel arrangements, while Attash is alleged to have provided combat training to the terrorists.

Specific terms and conditions of the pretrial agreements have not been publicly disclosed by the Department of Defense.

In June 2008, the three defendants, along with Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Ramzi Bin al Shibh, were collectively charged and arraigned. They faced new charges and prosecutions again in May 2012.

The plea agreement further highlights the fact that the death penalty is at odds with the core values of our democratic system. It is considered inhumane, unfair, and unjust,” commented a spokesperson.

We call on the U.S. government to promptly relocate the individuals who have been cleared for transfer, and to ultimately put an end to all indefinite detentions and unfair trials at Guantanamo.

Closing the chapter on these cases through a plea agreement will also offer a measure of transparency and justice for the families affected by the September 11 attacks, according to Romero, a representative.

Regarding the plea agreement, 9/11 Justice, a grassroots movement composed of survivors and family members of the victims, expressed deep concerns about these deals.

“These plea agreements should not perpetuate a system of secretive arrangements, where essential information remains concealed, denying the victims’ families the opportunity to uncover the complete truth,” said Brett Eagleson, President of 9/11 Justice.

Eagleson emphasized that the 9/11 Justice group is seeking greater access to these individuals in order to obtain information that will bring closure to all those impacted by the terrorist attacks.