In a pivotal moment in the long-running trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, his plea was delayed following a federal appeals court ruling. As victims' families expressed their frustrations over the ongoing uncertainty, the complexities surrounding Mohammed's legal agreement with prosecutors and the conditions at Guantanamo Bay continue to evoke scrutiny.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Plea Delayed Amid Court Controversies
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Plea Delayed Amid Court Controversies
The alleged architect of the 9/11 attacks faces delays again, as court proceedings at Guantanamo Bay come to a halt due to a dispute with the U.S. government.
Article Text:
Sitting on the front row of a war court on the US's Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the world's most notorious defendants, appeared to listen intently. "Can you confirm that Mr. Mohammed is pleading guilty to all charges and specifications without exceptions or substitutions?" the judge asked his lawyer as Mohammed watched on. "Yes, we can, Your Honour," the lawyer responded.
Sitting in court, 59-year-old Mohammed, his beard dyed bright orange and wearing a headdress, tunic, and trousers, bore little resemblance to a photo circulated shortly after his capture in 2003. Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US, had been due to plead guilty this week—more than 23 years after almost 3,000 people were killed in what the US government has described as "the most egregious criminal act on American soil in modern history."
However, just as Mohammed was set to formally enter his decision—the product of a controversial deal he struck with US government prosecutors—the proceedings were suddenly paused under the orders of a federal appeals court. It was expected to be a landmark week for a case that has faced a decade of delays, but with this new complication, it now continues into an uncertain future. "It's going to be the forever trial," said a relative of a 9/11 victim.
The recent pause comes amid a dispute over a deal reached last year between US prosecutors and Mohammed's legal team, under which he would evade a death penalty trial in exchange for his guilty plea. The US government has sought to rescind the agreement, arguing that it would cause "irreparable" harm. Meanwhile, supporters view the deal as the only way forward, given the prolonged impact of torture endured by Mohammed and other detainees.
Following a last-minute appeal by prosecutors, a three-judge panel at the federal appeals court called for the delay, allowing time to consider the ongoing arguments before arriving at a decision. Families of the victims had traveled to the base weeks in advance to witness the pleas from a gallery separated by thick glass, only to learn last minute that the proceedings were postponed.
Elizabeth Miller, whose father, New York City firefighter Douglas Miller, died in the attacks when she was six, expressed her desire for progress. She supported the plea deal to "bring finality" but acknowledged some families believed it was too lenient. "Every time this goes back and forth, each camp gets their hopes up and then gets their hopes crushed again," she lamented, a sentiment echoed by other family members. "It's like perpetual limbo… It's like constant whiplash."
Mohammed's situation is merely the latest of numerous delays, controversies, and complications at Guantanamo, where the US military has now held detainees for 23 years. The military prison was established during the "war on terror" beginning shortly after the 9/11 attacks, bringing in its first detainees on January 11, 2002.
Under a military order issued by then-President George Bush, military tribunals were created to try non-US citizens, who could be held without charge indefinitely and denied legal challenges to their detentions. Over the years, conditions at Guantanamo have come under scrutiny, with efforts to close the facility specifically criticized by human rights advocates and the UN.
While the treatment of detainees has improved, it still faces substantial criticism, and those advocates—alongside American officials—hope to see the prison closed. Former President Barack Obama and the current Biden administration have both expressed intentions to close it, reflecting a continued debate over its implications for US values.
As legal teams, journalists, and victim families gathered for the scheduled pleas, a secret operation was executed to resettle a group of 11 Yemeni detainees in Oman. Following this transfer, the prison now holds just 15 detainees, the lowest number in its history. Among those remaining, all but six have been charged or convicted of war crimes, navigating complex legal battles within the high-security courtrooms.
After the court was dismissed on Friday, the judge announced that if Mohammed's pleas are allowed, they would now fall under the purview of the next US administration.
Sitting on the front row of a war court on the US's Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the world's most notorious defendants, appeared to listen intently. "Can you confirm that Mr. Mohammed is pleading guilty to all charges and specifications without exceptions or substitutions?" the judge asked his lawyer as Mohammed watched on. "Yes, we can, Your Honour," the lawyer responded.
Sitting in court, 59-year-old Mohammed, his beard dyed bright orange and wearing a headdress, tunic, and trousers, bore little resemblance to a photo circulated shortly after his capture in 2003. Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US, had been due to plead guilty this week—more than 23 years after almost 3,000 people were killed in what the US government has described as "the most egregious criminal act on American soil in modern history."
However, just as Mohammed was set to formally enter his decision—the product of a controversial deal he struck with US government prosecutors—the proceedings were suddenly paused under the orders of a federal appeals court. It was expected to be a landmark week for a case that has faced a decade of delays, but with this new complication, it now continues into an uncertain future. "It's going to be the forever trial," said a relative of a 9/11 victim.
The recent pause comes amid a dispute over a deal reached last year between US prosecutors and Mohammed's legal team, under which he would evade a death penalty trial in exchange for his guilty plea. The US government has sought to rescind the agreement, arguing that it would cause "irreparable" harm. Meanwhile, supporters view the deal as the only way forward, given the prolonged impact of torture endured by Mohammed and other detainees.
Following a last-minute appeal by prosecutors, a three-judge panel at the federal appeals court called for the delay, allowing time to consider the ongoing arguments before arriving at a decision. Families of the victims had traveled to the base weeks in advance to witness the pleas from a gallery separated by thick glass, only to learn last minute that the proceedings were postponed.
Elizabeth Miller, whose father, New York City firefighter Douglas Miller, died in the attacks when she was six, expressed her desire for progress. She supported the plea deal to "bring finality" but acknowledged some families believed it was too lenient. "Every time this goes back and forth, each camp gets their hopes up and then gets their hopes crushed again," she lamented, a sentiment echoed by other family members. "It's like perpetual limbo… It's like constant whiplash."
Mohammed's situation is merely the latest of numerous delays, controversies, and complications at Guantanamo, where the US military has now held detainees for 23 years. The military prison was established during the "war on terror" beginning shortly after the 9/11 attacks, bringing in its first detainees on January 11, 2002.
Under a military order issued by then-President George Bush, military tribunals were created to try non-US citizens, who could be held without charge indefinitely and denied legal challenges to their detentions. Over the years, conditions at Guantanamo have come under scrutiny, with efforts to close the facility specifically criticized by human rights advocates and the UN.
While the treatment of detainees has improved, it still faces substantial criticism, and those advocates—alongside American officials—hope to see the prison closed. Former President Barack Obama and the current Biden administration have both expressed intentions to close it, reflecting a continued debate over its implications for US values.
As legal teams, journalists, and victim families gathered for the scheduled pleas, a secret operation was executed to resettle a group of 11 Yemeni detainees in Oman. Following this transfer, the prison now holds just 15 detainees, the lowest number in its history. Among those remaining, all but six have been charged or convicted of war crimes, navigating complex legal battles within the high-security courtrooms.
After the court was dismissed on Friday, the judge announced that if Mohammed's pleas are allowed, they would now fall under the purview of the next US administration.
