The reality is that it is unclear if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or the others were properly given Miranda warnings and at the proper time. It is further unclear what percentage of evidence amassed against them would be inadmissible for one reason or another (allegations of torture, suggestions of unreasonable search and seizure leading to the "fruit of the poisonous tree" doctrine being employed, etc.).

The point of military tribunals is that they satisfy Constitutional demands that the Supreme Court has declared to be "universal" without forcing the case into the straightjacket of Federal criminal procedure. That Federal criminal procedure was almost certainly not followed as US military forces operate on a completely different principle than domestic US law enforcement officers.

While Khalid Sheikh Mohammed may be brazen enough to plead guilty just to become a martyr, we can't be certain of that and we set a precedent that could let other terrorists go free on procedural grounds. What distinguishes military action against terrorists from police action against criminals is that we don't play by the same rules (and indeed can't, if we want to fight effectively).

When one considers the complete waste of money that this will lead to, the ensuing media circus (whether or not cameras are permitted in the courtroom) and the delay, it is a further insult to those who have fought to rid the world of these odious individuals.