Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused al-Qaeda mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, has indicated that he is willing to be deposed by victims who are suing Saudi Arabia for damages, if the United States government decides not to seek the death penalty against him.
His offer was disclosed in a letter filed in the US District Court in Manhattan by lawyers representing individuals and businesses seeking billions of dollars in damages. The Saudi government has long denied involvement in the 2001 attacks, in which hijacked airplanes crashed into New York’s World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. Nearly 3 000 people died.