CNN reported on August 27 that a U.S. military judge set a trial date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three other suspects accused of planning the 2001 “9·11” terrorist attacks, for the summer of 2028.
It is reported that the trial is scheduled to begin on June 5, 2028. This is 18 months later than the timeline set by the prosecutor, which was January 2027. In the ruling, Major Michael A. Schlamma wrote that the delay was due to “the need for additional time to resolve pre-trial disputes,” including disagreements regarding which evidence could be presented during the trial.
According to media reports, for over two decades, the U.S. military and various governments have been working hard to bring to justice a person accused of planning one of the most fatal attacks in U.S. history.
However, reports subsequently indicated that whether the trial in 2028 can proceed as scheduled depends on whether the case can complete all its stages and achieve its goals on time. It is possible that the trial will be postponed again. Previously, a trial was scheduled for 2021, but that trial was cancelled.
Mohammed was accused of planning and directing the world-shaking “9·11” incident. In this event, four commercial airliners were hijacked, three of which collided with the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington; another hijacked plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. According to statistics, the attack resulted in the death of 2,977 people (excluding the hijackers).
If a trial is held, he will be tried along with three other suspects—Walid Ben Atash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Al-Hawsaawi. They are also among the last detainees being held at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Last year, a federal appeals court overturned a plea agreement. The agreement stipulated that Muhammad and his two co-defendants would be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, and they were required to answer any remaining questions regarding the attack by the families of the victims, but they would be exempt from the death penalty. However, after two years of negotiations, the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden vetoed the agreement.
Regarding this result, there are also different opinions among the families of the victims. Those who oppose the agreement believe that a public trial is necessary to uncover all the truth. Meanwhile, those who support the agreement say that the case has been dragging on for over 20 years, and they hope for a quick resolution so as to avoid further suffering.
