U.S. won't drop conspiracy charge against 9/11 plot suspects

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Pentagon appointee overseeing the Guantanamo war crimes court refused on Friday to drop conspiracy charges against five accused plotters of the September 11 attacks despite the chief prosecutor's concerns that the charge might not withstand appeals.

The decision announced by the Pentagon means the alleged mastermind of the hijacked plane attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other captives could be tried on a charge that the prosecutor acknowledged might not have been recognized as a war crime when the attacks occurred in 2001.