<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">A Saudi prisoner accused of plotting Al Qaeda’s bombing of the U.S.S. Cole warship in 2000 has signed an offer to plead guilty to avoid a death-penalty trial, his lawyer announced Monday.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The lawyer, Allison F. Miller, made the disclosure at the start of a two-week hearing in <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/uss-cole-bombing-trial.html" title="">the war crimes case</a> while describing an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty at her Pentagon office over expected staff and budget cuts.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would be considering the offer under the current formula for the military commission system. But Ms. Miller said a military chain of command has yet to send it to him.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The defendant, <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html#detainee-10015" title="">Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri</a>, 60, sat silently with his legal team, at times swiveling in his chair, while Ms. Miller described the pretrial agreement, as the plea offer is called.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Mr. Nashiri, who has been in U.S. custody since 2002, is charged in the longest-running death penalty case at Guantánamo Bay. Two suicide bombers blew up a bomb-landed skiff alongside the Cole during a refueling stop in Yemen on Oct. 12, 2000. Mr. Nashiri is accused of helping to orchestrate the attack, which killed 17 U.S. sailors and wounded dozens of others.</p><div data-testid="imageblock-wrapper"><figure aria-label="media" class="img-sz-small css-1189og3 e1g7ppur0" role="group"><div class="css-zgakxe erfvjey0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-figure"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Image</span><div class="css-nwd8t8" data-testid="lazy-image"><div data-testid="lazyimage-container" style="height:580px"></div></div></div><figcaption class="css-13ytnnu ewdxa0s0" data-testid="photoviewer-children-caption"><span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Mr. Nashiri, who has been in U.S. custody since 2002, is charged in the longest-running death penalty case at Guantánamo Bay.</span><span class="css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span aria-hidden="false">-</span></span></span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="css-1336jj"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171quhb"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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