Nearly 25 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—the man accused by U.S. authorities of masterminding the plot to hijack commercial airliners and crash them into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia—is scheduled to face a military commission trial. A fourth aircraft, seized by hijackers, crashed in a rural area of Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the coordinated attacks—a day that reshaped global security policy, counterterrorism strategy, and international relations.
The Accused and His Alleged Role
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Pakistani-born engineer who studied in the United States, is accused of conceiving the idea to train terrorists as pilots and steering the operation toward Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda network. He was arrested alongside Mustafa al-Hawsawi in Pakistan in March 2003. At the time of his capture, he was considered one of al-Qaeda’s most senior operational planners.
Detention and Interrogation
After his arrest, Mohammed was held in secret CIA detention sites—including one in Poland—where he was subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques widely condemned as torture. In September 2006, he was transferred to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he remains detained today. The Guantánamo Bay detention facility was established in early 2002 under President George W. Bush as part of the so-called ‘war on terror.’ At its peak, it held approximately 800 detainees; today, fewer than 30 remain.
Trial Timeline and Uncertainties
A U.S. military commission has tentatively scheduled Mohammed’s trial for June 2028—a date cited by major American news outlets. However, this timeline is not final. Significant procedural hurdles remain unresolved, particularly concerning the admissibility of evidence obtained during his years of detention and interrogation. Defense attorneys and human rights advocates continue to challenge whether testimony or confessions extracted under coercive conditions can lawfully be used in court.
Despite repeated calls from international human rights organizations—including the United Nations and Amnesty International—for Guantánamo’s closure, the facility remains open, symbolizing enduring legal, ethical, and diplomatic controversies surrounding indefinite detention and military justice.