Trial date set for alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

A U.S. military judge has set a June 5, 2028 trial date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three alleged accomplices accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The date is 18 months later than the January 2027 start prosecutors had requested. The delay is due to resolving pretrial disputes, such as disagreements over admissible evidence.

The 2028 trial hinges on meeting deadlines and milestones, and could be delayed again. A trial was previously planned for 2021 but was later canceled. Mohammed is charged with developing and directing the plot to fly hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, while the other plane crashed in Pennsylvania. He faces trial alongside Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, who are among the last detainees at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The path to trial has been lengthy and fraught with drama. Mohammed has previously requested to wear military attire in court, criticized a courtroom drawing of himself, and successfully fought to send a letter to former President Barack Obama. However, a federal appeals court recently invalidated an agreement that would have allowed Mohammed to plead guilty in exchange for life sentences without parole for himself and two co-defendants.

The deal also would have required the men to answer lingering questions from victims' families about the attacks. The administration of former President Joe Biden quickly rejected the deal following its announcement, facing significant political backlash.