Guilty pleas possible in some 9/11 cases

WASHINGTON- A senior administration official says the Obama administration is considering a plan that would allow Guantanamo detainees facing the death penalty to plead guilty without a full trial.

The official says the option is one of a number being debated by a Justice Department-led task force and would be aimed at the five detainees accused of planning the Sept. 11 attacks.

It's unclear whether the option, first reported by The New York Times, is being considered for other Guantanamo detainees. According to the official, the task force has not presented any recommendation to the White House on how to handle them.

The five Sept. 11 detainees have said they wanted to confess, presumably to plead guilty and face the death penalty. At least two, including the self-described mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have said they want to be executed to achieve martyrdom.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/6/220914