Gitmo Plea Deal Could Lead to Faster Prosecutions
The plea deal and admission of guilt by Guantanamo prisoner and international terrorist Majid Khan may end up leading to more efficient criminal prosecutions of other "high value" detainees.
Khan, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, murder and attempted murder in violation of the laws of war, and to material support for terrorism and espionage.
Khan, had spent the last nine years behind bars and faced possible life in prison, but will receive a reduced sentence of no more than 25 years as part of the plea agreement that requires him to cooperate with U.S. authorities.
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In exchange for a lesser sentence, he will testify against other "high value" detainees, including four other individuals thought to have taken part in the 2001 attacks.
To insure he lives up to his side of the deal the sentence will start until Feb. 29, 2016.
Khan had also been accused of plotting to assassinate former military leader Pervez Musharraf in 2002, and also being involved in a 2003 bombing of a hotel in Indonesia.
Khan was one of the individuals responsible for coordinating as well as planning the September 11 attacks with Khalid Sheihk Mohammad.
Since the base was used to house terror suspects there have been 779 inmates detained at Guantanamo. Many have been transferred to their home countries or third countries in recent years and released.
For the other detainees who remain, pleading guilty and aiding US authorities might be the only way to guarantee they will one day leave the facility.
David Remes, who has represented several detainees, said, "the irony is that if you're charged with a crime and make a plea deal, you know you'll be released someday and have some idea when. You have an end-point. But if you're not accused of a crime, you don't know whether you'll ever be released, much less when. That may be the crueler fate," according to AFP.
