Accused 9/11 plotters reach plea deal

The man accused of plotting the Sep 11, 2001 attacks, and two of his co-defendants, will be spared the death penalty as part of a plea agreement that aims to end years of legal wrangling over his detention

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 59

U.S.-educated engineer, captured in Pakistan in 2003, held at CIA prisons before being sent to U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2006

Accused of plotting with late al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden to hijack planes and fly them into buildings

Subjected to 183 rounds of waterboarding – decision to use simulated drowning would hamper years of efforts to put him on trial

Mohammed, Walid bin Attash (far left) and Mustafa al-Hawsawi (left) will plead guilty to all charges, including murder of 2,976 people, in exchange for life sentence rather than death-penalty trial

1 American Airlines Flight 11
Passengers: 76, Crew: 11
Crashes into North Tower of World Trade Center

2 United Airlines Flight 175
Passengers: 51, Crew: 9
Crashes into South Tower of World Trade Center

3 American Airlines Flight 77
Passengers: 53, Crew: 6
Crashes into Pentagon

4 United Airlines Flight 93
Passengers: 33, Crew: 7
Crashes into field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

ATLANTIC OCEAN
100 miles
160km
OH
KY
WV
VA
PA
NY
MA
CT
NJ
Logan Airport,
Boston 
Dulles
Pentagon
Washington D.C.
Shanksville
World Trade Center,
New York City
Newark
U.S.

Sources: Reuters, NYT, 9/11 Commission Report
Pictures: CIA, ICRC
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