Appeals Court Upholds Plea Deals for 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Denies Defense Secretary's Bid to Overturn

Dec 31, 2024, 03:14 PM

A military appeals court has ruled that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin overstepped his authority when he attempted to rescind plea deals reached with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, defendants charged in the September 11 attacks, according to U.S. officials. The court's decision upholds the plea agreements, which will spare the defendants from facing the death penalty in exchange for pleading guilty. Austin had sought to overturn the deals two days after they were signed by a senior Pentagon appointee, but the appeals panel found his intervention came too late and exceeded the scope of his authority. The ruling means the plea deals, originally negotiated by prosecutors under the Biden administration, are back in effect, allowing the alleged masterminds of the 9/11 attacks to avoid capital punishment.