Pentagon, FBI notify 9/11 families: Architect of attack and 4 others may have death penalties revoked.

The Fate of ‌9/11 Attack ‍Architects Hangs in the⁤ Balance

The Pentagon and FBI ⁣have alerted several of the grieving families‌ who⁣ lost relatives in the deadly 9/11 attack in which nearly 3,000 Americans⁣ were murdered⁣ that⁣ the ⁤suspected architect of​ the attacks⁤ and his fellow defendants may have‌ their⁤ death‌ sentences overturned through plea deals.

Khalid ​Sheikh Mohammed — who suggested ​the ​9/11 attacks to al-Qaida leader‍ Osama bin‌ Laden and then planned the attacks — and four ⁤other terrorists have been incarcerated at the Guantanamo Bay detention center for years, while repeated delays and ​legal disputes‍ have postponed⁣ the death penalty ‍being applied. No trial date has ⁣been ⁣set.

“The Office of the Chief‍ Prosecutor has been negotiating and​ is ​considering entering into pre-trial agreements,” the⁣ August 1‍ letter sent to⁣ the families stated. It ⁣stated that although no plea deal has “been finalized, and may never be finalized, it is possible that a PTA in this⁣ case would remove the possibility of the‍ death penalty.”

The families ‌were given until Monday, August⁤ 21, to respond ‍to the⁣ FBI’s victim services ⁢division with ‍any comments or questions ‌about‍ the matter.

Some relatives of the nearly 3,000 ⁤people⁢ killed outright‍ in the‍ terror attacks expressed outrage over the prospect of ending the case short of a verdict. The military prosecutors pledged to‌ take ⁢their views into consideration and‍ present them to the ​military authorities who would make the final⁢ decision on accepting any plea agreement.

Jim Riches, a retired ⁤deputy fire chief whose son Jimmy was a ‍firefighter who died as a result of the 9/11 attacks,​ emitted a bitter laugh when he‌ received the letter. “How⁤ can you have any faith in it?”​ he said,⁣ adding, “Those guys are still alive. Our⁤ children are​ dead.”

Former President George W. Bush established⁣ the prison ⁢and court system ‍at⁣ Guantanamo⁢ Bay in 2002 following ‍the 9/11/2001 attacks. ⁤Former⁤ President Barack​ Obama promised to close the center; during his administration, the ⁤number of ​prisoners was⁤ reduced ​from ​roughly‍ 250 to 41. Republicans ​in Congress blocked Obama’s move to close⁢ the detention center.

In ⁣early 2021, President ⁤Biden declared he would close the facility.

The Devastating Impact of ‌the ​9/11 Attacks

• 2,606 ⁤people were reported murdered in ​the World Trade Center and ​on the ⁤ground.

• At ⁤least ‍125 ⁤people working at the Pentagon were killed.

• 265‍ people were killed aboard the four planes used in the attacks,⁤ including eight children.

Medical⁢ authorities concluded by August 2013, that⁤ 1,140 people who⁤ worked, lived, or studied in⁢ Lower Manhattan had been diagnosed with cancer as a result of “exposure to ​toxins ‌at Ground⁢ Zero” and the number would grow.