CIA torture casts shadow over 9/11 prosecution 25 years later

Published September 12, 2026 2:00pm ET | Updated September 12, 2026 6:09pm ET



Weeks before the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a military judge excluded accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s statements to FBI agents, finding that prosecutors had failed to establish they were voluntary following his torture in CIA custody.

The ruling in Mohammed’s case, with a trial scheduled to begin June 5, 2028, underpins the legal battles the government faces in trying to prosecute the individuals charged in connection with the attack. Mohammed, known as KSM, was captured by the CIA in March 2003 during a raid on a home near Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

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