Defense Secretary Revokes Plea Deal with Accused 9/11 Plotters
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The pre-trial plea deal that would have allowed three men accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks to escape the death penalty has been revoked by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin.
For Context: On Wednesday, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and murder charges to escape the death penalty. But, on Friday, following criticism from the families of some of the 9/11 victims, the Defense Secretary reversed the plea deal.
The Details: Defense Secretary Austin revoked the authority of the officer overseeing the military court where the agreement was signed, saying, "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 authority." Austin's memo named two additional men that were not in the original plea: Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali.
How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the right tended to emphasize families of 9/11 victims who were unhappy with the original deal, and Republican politicians who praised the Defense Secretary for taking the deal off the table. On the left, outlets portrayed the families of 9/11 victims as having mixed reactions to the deal and included more details about the torture the accused men have endured.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Defense secretary revokes plea deal with accused 9/11 plotters
In a startling reversal of a decision made just 48 hours earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked plea deals reached with three accused plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, including the alleged mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Austin also removed the head of the U.S. military commissions — who on Wednesday had approved the settlement agreements — from the 9/11 case, which has been mired in legal quagmire for two decades and is widely considered unlikely ever to go to trial.
Austin's surprise announcement, made Friday night, cancels plea...
From the Center
Plea deal with accused 9/11 plotters revoked - US government
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked a pre-trial agreement reached with men accused plotting the 11 September terror attacks. In a memo on Friday, Mr Austin also said he was revoking the authority of the officer overseeing the court who signed the agreement on Wednesday. The move comes after the deal, which would have spared the alleged attackers the death penalty, was criticised by some families of victims. The memo named five defendants including the alleged ringleader of the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The original deal, struck on July...
From the Right
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revokes plea deal for accused 9/11 terrorists in shocking reversal
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin revoked plea deals on Friday that would have spared the death penalty for the accused mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and two alleged accomplices. In a memo, Austin, 70, announced that he relieved the official responsible for signing off on the plea agreements from duty and that he assumed control of the Convening Authority for Military Commissions. “I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused in the above-referenced case, responsibility for such...
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