Defense Secretary Revokes Plea Deal with Accused 9/11 Plotters

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deal that would have allowed three men accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks to escape the death penalty has been revoked by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin.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.