United States cancels plea agreement with 9/11 suspected masterminds

In a significant turn of events, the United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has annulled the plea deals previously arranged with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other accused plotters of the September 11 attacks. The accused are currently detained at Guantanamo Bay, the US military prison in Cuba.

Pentagon's Statement and Austin's Memo

The Pentagon released a statement on Friday, confirming the withdrawal of the plea deals without providing specific details. "Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pre-trial agreements," Austin wrote in a memo addressed to Susan Escallier, who oversees the Pentagon's Guantanamo war court.

Austin emphasized the gravity of the decision, stating, "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 as the superior convening authority under the Military Commissions Act of 2009." Escallier had signed the pre-trial agreement for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, also known as KSM, on July 31, 2024.

Defendants and Plea Deals

The memo named four other defendants: Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali. Plea deals had also been reached with bin Attash and al-Hawsawi, with the accused agreeing to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentences, avoiding trials that could result in their executions, according to a report by the New York Times.

Background and Criticism

Guantanamo Bay was established in 2002 by then-President George W Bush to detain foreign militant suspects after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is accused of masterminding the plot to hijack commercial passenger aircraft and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and propelling the United States into a war in Afghanistan.

The revocation of the plea deals has sparked strong criticism from several Republican lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the Biden administration's handling of the matter. McConnell stated on X, "The Biden-Harris Administration's cowardice in the face of terror is a national disgrace. The plea deal with terrorists, including those behind the 9/11 attacks, is a revolting abdication of the government's responsibility to defend America and provide justice."

The Biden-Harris Administration’s cowardice in the face of terror is a national disgrace. The plea deal with terrorists, including those behind the 9/11 attacks, is a revolting abdication of the government’s responsibility to defend America and provide justice.

Full statement:…

— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) July 31, 2024