9/11 'mastermind' welcomes prospect of death penalty

The accused mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks said he welcomed martyrdom at US hands, as he and four codefendants asked to be tried for war crimes without the benefit of lawyers.

The arraignment at the Guantanamo US Navy base marked the first time that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the former number three leader of al-Qaida, has been seen since he was captured in Pakistan in 2003.