The ruling marks a blow to the federal government's long-delayed effort to prosecute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is accused of developing the plot to crash planes into the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

The self-proclaimed "mastermind" of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will stand trial in June 2028, a military judge ruled Wednesday.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of masterminding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will finally face trial in 2028, a judge declared on Wednesday.

The former al Qaeda propaganda chief has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba for 20 years.