September 11 accused want to plead guilty

The self-styled mastermind behind the September 11 terror attacks, and four of his co-defendants, told a military judge at Guantanamo Bay today that they wanted to plead guilty.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four others sent a note to the judge at today’s pre-trial hearing at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base saying they wanted to confess.

The judge, Army Colonel Stephen Henley, who was assigned to the case after the previous judge resigned for undisclosed reasons in November, said he would question the five men to ensure that was their wish.

The judge read aloud a letter in which the five co-defendants said they “request an immediate hearing session to announce our confessions”.

Sporting a chest-length grey beard, Mohammed told the judge he did not trust him, his Pentagon-appointed lawyers or US President George Bush.

Speaking in English, Mohammed said: “I don’t trust you.”