
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the designer of the 9·11 attacks, who is imprisoned in Guantanamo, Cuba, is said to have entered into a plea agreement.
The New York Times reported that the US prosecutor in charge of Mohammeds case is in talks with defense counsel over the sentence.
Mohammed, the former commander of al Qaedas operations, and his four accomplices are charged with aiding in the preparations for terrorism, including financing 19 terrorists who hijacked four American planes at the time of 9·11.
Given this role, the general analysis is that the death penalty will be inevitable if a guilty verdict is reached.
However, it is not an easy task for the military prosecutors to prove their guilt.
This is because of the controversy that the US Central Intelligence Agency used illegal methods such as torture during the interrogation of those arrested immediately after the terrorist attack.
Mohammeds attorneys claim that the statements obtained by the CIA cannot be used as evidence at trial.
Because this issue has not been resolved, the official trial has not started for nearly 10 years.
It is an explanation that it is not a bad choice for the military prosecution to have Mohammed admit his guilt and finish the trial as soon as possible.
If Mohammed pleads guilty, he will face life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
Both defendants and prosecutors are open to negotiations, but the NYT explains that it is unclear whether a deal will be reached.
It is known that Mohammed and others refuse to be transferred from a federal prison in the United States, which is sentenced to 23 hours in solitary confinement even if their sentences are commuted to life imprisonment.
He said he would serve his sentence by staying in Guantanamo concentration camp, where prisoners could eat and worship together.
Guilty negotiations were held even under former President Donald Trump, but were not reached due to such demands.
Since the Joe Biden administration has also promised to close Guantanamo, it will not be easy to accept Mohammeds demands.
The number of prisoners in Guantanamo, once at 800, has now fallen to around 30.
On the other hand, since the number of military personnel and contractors deployed to Guantanamo reaches 1,500, many critics from the political circles point out that the operation of the camp is inefficient.