United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has defended his decision to revoke plea deals agreed with three men accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks. The deals involved alleged mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence rather than the death penalty. Austin stated that the families of the victims, service members, and the American public deserve to see military commission trials carried out.
The Pentagon had announced the plea agreements on July 31, sparking a mix of reactions. Some believed it was the only feasible way to resolve the long-stalled 9/11 cases, while others, including victims’ family members and Republican lawmakers, were outraged, accusing the Biden administration of treating the defendants too lightly.
Austin was caught off guard by the decision to offer the plea deals, and on Friday, he announced their withdrawal, relieving the official who had signed off on them of her authority. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that the Biden administration had no role in the plea bargains, stating that they were not consulted before the deals were announced.
The defendants are set to face trial in a military court at Guantanamo Bay, with their cases having been held up for years due to legal issues. Austin’s decision to revoke the plea deals has stirred controversy and raised questions about the handling of the high-profile case.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
