Judge Upholds Plea Deals for 9/11 Defendants, Sparing Them from Death Penalty

In a landmark ruling, a military judge has validated plea agreements between the U.S. government and three alleged September 11th conspirators held at Guantanamo Bay, including the alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The decision confirms that the defendants may avoid the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas, potentially concluding years of protracted legal proceedings and sparking intense public and political debate.

This ruling comes after years of stalled proceedings and repeated setbacks in the high-profile case. In July, the U.S. government reached plea deals with Mohammed. . .