Three men accused of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks, including the suspected architect, have accepted plea deals after decades in U.S. detention.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawasawi agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence.
The New York Times reported late Wednesday that the guilty pleas, which will allow the men to avoid a death penalty trial, have been approved by Pentagon officials.
The three men have been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003. Mohammed is an al-Qaeda militant accused of being the main architect of the 9/11 attacks.
In a letter to families of the 9/11 victims, Chief Prosecutor Rear Admiral Aaron Rugh said: ‘In exchange for the elimination of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three defendants agreed to plead guilty to all of the crimes charged, including the murder of the 2,976 individuals listed in the indictment.
This Saturday, March 1, 2003, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of 9/11, is shown shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan.
The letter, seen by The Times, said the men could make their pleas in open court as early as next week, The Times reported.
The Defense Department released a statement Wednesday saying prosecutors had reached plea agreements with the men, without disclosing the terms.
The prosecution of menhas been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the torture-based interrogation the men were initially subjected to while in CIA custody.
