US court rejects plea deal for '9/11 mastermind' Khalil Sheikh MohammedKhalid Sheikh Muhammad is accused of organising and directing the 9/11 attacks on the United StatesMohammed is accused of organising and directing the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, in which hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing almost 3,000 people. A divided federal appeals court has thrown out a plea agreement that would have allowed accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, US media report. The plea deal was negotiated over two years and approved by military prosecutors and the senior Pentagon official in Guantanamo Bay. A military court ruled against Austin's effort in December, which put the agreement to avoid the death penalty back on the table. On Friday, the appeals court tossed the deal, saying Austin was acting within his authority in December 2024.