Three terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay, including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. Instead, they have been charged with the murder of the 2,976 victims.
A spokesperson for the Office of Military Commissions (OMC) confirmed to The New York Post that pre-trial agreements had been made with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. KSM, accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, and the other two terrorists have been held at the US military prison in Cuba since 2003.
A letter signed by Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh, chief prosecutor for the OMC, was sent to the victims’ families on Wednesday. It stated, “In exchange for 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.”
The guilty plea hearings could take place as early as next week, with sentencing expected next summer.
The letter also explained that the terror suspects have agreed to answer questions from the victims’ families about their roles and motives in planning the attacks. Family members would be able to submit questions to the suspects’ defense attorneys and receive answers within 90 days.
Daniel D’Allara, whose twin brother John was one of the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11, expressed his disappointment to The New York Post, saying, “I am very disappointed. We waited patiently for a long time. I wanted the death penalty — the government has failed us.”
Retired NYPD officer Jim Smith, whose wife Moira was the only female police officer killed in the attacks, told the outlet he felt like he had been “kicked in the balls.”
“The prosecution and families have waited 23 years to have our day in court to put on the record what these animals did to our loved ones. They took that opportunity away from us. They committed the worst crime in the history of our country, they should receive the highest penalty.”
Kathy Vigiano, a retired NYPD officer and wife of Det. Joseph Vigiano who was killed in the attacks, told the Post, “I am angry and disappointed that enemy combatants who killed thousands of Americans in our homeland are now able to exploit the US judicial system to their benefit, receiving support from American taxpayers for shelter, food, and healthcare for the rest of their lives.”
Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United, whose husband Tom Strada, a 41-year-old bond broker at Cantor Fitzgerald, was killed in the north tower, told the outlet that some relatives of the victims wanted a plea deal “because they wanted it to end” after more than 20 years.
Strada said, “I wanted a trial, I wanted him to be found guilty, and I wanted him to be punished accordingly.” Regarding the deal’s specifics, she added, “We’ll take off the death penalty, you say you’re guilty, and you get to live in Gitmo country club until you die. I’ve been there. It’s a lot cushier than it would be in a max prison.”