Official court documents and announcements from the Department of Defense

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Revokes Plea Deal for 9/11 Mastermind, Reinstates Death Penalty

Aug 3, 2024, 11:43 AM

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has revoked a plea deal previously agreed upon with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and two accomplices. The plea agreement, which was reached earlier this week, would have taken the death penalty off the table. Austin's decision effectively reinstates the death penalty as an option for these defendants. The revocation comes after significant backlash from victims' families, lawmakers, and the public, who criticized the leniency of the plea deal. The accused are currently held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. This move has been praised by some as a step towards justice for the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks, while others have expressed concerns about the potential implications for the legal process.