Pentagon Chief Nullifies 9/11 Plea Deals
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accomplices accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001, attacks. The decision, detailed in a memorandum signed by Austin, reinstates the cases as death penalty trials. This follows an earlier agreement that would have seen the suspects plead guilty in exchange for life sentences.
The decision also involved relieving Susan Escallier, who oversees the Pentagon's Guantanamo war court, of her authority to approve such pre-trial agreements. Austin emphasized that the responsibility for these decisions should rest with him, as stipulated under the Military Commission Act of 2009. The move has faced criticism from both political figures and families of the 9/11 victims, who have expressed concerns about being deprived of full trials and potential death sentences for the accused.
The plea deals were initially seen as a way to resolve cases that have been mired in legal and political challenges since 2008. The cases have been stalled due to issues related to the defendants' treatment while in CIA custody. Republican lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration for the initial plea agreements, arguing that they allowed the suspects to avoid the death penalty.
