The man accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two of his co-defendants have reached plea agreements that will allow them to avoid the death penalty, the Defense Department announced yesterday. Via The Washington Post:

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi will all plead guilty, according to a letter sent to families of the victims by a senior U.S. defense official overseeing the cases. A panel of military officials eventually will determine the men’s sentences.

“In exchange for the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment, these three accused have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charged offenses, including the murder of the 2,976 people listed in the charge sheet,” according to the letter, signed by Rear Adm. Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor in the cases.

The deals raise the prospect that some of the most significant cases in the Pentagon’s long legal process stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks may finally be over. Human rights organizations and legal experts have criticized the proceedings for their secretive nature, conflicts of interest and repeated delays that have drawn out the effort for years.

This case has always been a mess, thanks to the high emotions and desire for revenge. So much of the legal foundation was eroded by how the U.S. detained and interrogated suspects and prisoners, including torture at Guantánamo Bay, which it tried to keep secret. The U.S. Senate has published reports that include information on waterboarding of some prisoners, including Mohammed. So this is probably the best outcome they can get, considering the legal obstacles.