US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked a plea agreement with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
This decision, made on August 2, 2024, comes just two days after the initial announcement of the deal, which would have spared Mohammed and two other defendants from the death penalty in exchange for life sentences.
The plea agreements, initially seen as a step towards resolving the long-standing cases, were met with backlash from some relatives of the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks and criticism from prominent Republican politicians.
"These plea deals should not perpetuate a system of closed-door agreements, where crucial information is hidden without giving the families of the victims the chance to learn the full truth," stated one critic.
Defence Secretary Austin emphasized the gravity of the decision in a memorandum addressed to Susan Escallier, who oversaw the case.
"I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused... responsibility for such a decision should rest with me," Austin wrote. He further added, "I hereby withdraw from the three pre-trial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024."
The cases against Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi have been mired in pre-trial maneuverings for years, with the accused held at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba.
The New York Times reported that the defendants had agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentences, thus avoiding trials that could lead to their executions.
However, much of the legal debate has centered on whether they could be tried fairly after enduring methodical torture by the CIA post-9/11.
The revocation of the plea deals has reignited discussions about justice and accountability.
Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers described the agreements as "unconscionable," while House Speaker Mike Johnson called them a "slap in the face" to the victims' families. JD Vance, running mate of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, labeled the deals as a "sweetheart deal with 9/11 terrorists," asserting, "We need a president who kills terrorists, not negotiates with them."
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, captured in Pakistan in 2003, was considered one of Osama bin Laden's most trusted lieutenants. He spent three years in secret CIA prisons before being transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.
His co-defendants, bin Attash and Hawsawi, were also captured in Pakistan and held in secret prisons before their transfer to Guantanamo.
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