Three men accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001 attacks have entered a pre-trial agreement, according to the US Department of Defense.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, detained at Guantanamo Bay for years without trial, are expected to plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution not seeking the death penalty.

Details of the agreement remain undisclosed, but reports indicate the plea could be made as early as next week. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, which led to the "War on Terror" and subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

This was the deadliest assault on US soil since the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.

The plea deal was communicated to victims' families via a letter from prosecutors, as reported by The New York Times. The defense department confirmed that the specific terms are not publicly available.

The men face numerous charges, including attacking civilians, murder in violation of the laws of war, hijacking, and terrorism. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, regarded as the mastermind, was captured in Pakistan in March 2003.

He reportedly proposed the idea to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and played a key role in recruiting and training the hijackers.

Mohammed was subjected to "enhanced interrogation techniques," including waterboarding, which critics argue amounted to torture and complicated the trial process. Delays were partly due to concerns that these methods could undermine the evidence.

In September, the Biden administration rejected a plea deal with five Guantanamo detainees, including Mohammed, who sought guarantees against solitary confinement and access to trauma treatment. The White House stated it was informed of the new deal but did not participate in the negotiations.

Families of victims expressed frustration and disappointment. Jim Smith, whose wife died in the attacks, lamented the loss of their chance to see justice served in court.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the deal as a failure to uphold justice, calling it "a revolting abdication of the government's responsibility."

The agreement has sparked significant controversy, highlighting the ongoing struggle to balance justice, national security, and human rights in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.