A Saudi national, charged in connection with the 2000 U.S.S. Cole attack, has agreed to a plea deal to escape the death penalty while awaiting military commission review.
Defendant in U.S.S. Cole Bombing Case Accepts Plea Deal
Defendant in U.S.S. Cole Bombing Case Accepts Plea Deal
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri seeks to avoid death penalty trial with recent plea offer acceptance.
Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi detainee implicated in the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole, has signed a plea agreement aimed at avoiding the death penalty, his attorney Allison F. Miller revealed during a hearing at Guantánamo Bay on Monday. The agreement is currently pending review by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but has not yet officially reached his desk due to ongoing military command processes, as Miller noted amidst a challenging atmosphere in her office due to budget constraints and staff cuts.
Nashiri, who has been in U.S. custody since 2002, is part of the longest-running death penalty case at Guantánamo. He is accused of aiding in the plot that led to the attack by two suicide bombers, resulting in the loss of 17 American sailors' lives and injuring many others during a refueling stop in Yemen on October 12, 2000. His legal team observed him during the proceedings, with Nashiri remaining composed as his attorney outlined the details of the pretrial plea agreement.
