US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has revoked a plea deal for three men accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks, according to a memo sent to Susan Escallier, overseeing the war court proceedings. The deal was signed with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attack, and two accomplices, in exchange for guilty pleas and life in prison sentences. This decision was met with mixed reactions, with some victims’ families feeling it was a missed opportunity for justice, while others criticized the deal as a betrayal from the Biden-Harris administration.
The plea deal had elicited sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, who accused the administration of betraying the American people. However, a senior Pentagon official clarified that President Biden and Vice President Harris had no involvement in Austin’s decision to rescind the deal. The defendants were expected to enter their pleas next week, with Mohammed accused of masterminding the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
The US military commission overseeing the cases of the 9/11 attackers has been stuck in pre-trial hearings and court actions since 2008, with the possibility of full trials and verdicts still uncertain due to evidence related to the defendants’ torture being inadmissible. The decision to revoke the plea deal highlights the complexities of seeking justice for the 9/11 attacks and the ongoing challenges in holding the perpetrators accountable.
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