US defence secretary cancels controversial 9/11 plea deal
On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin decided to cancel the agreement that had been reached two days earlier with three individuals accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001, attacks, who are being held at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Austin emphasised that all matters in this case fall exclusively within his jurisdiction.
The agreement details with the three accused, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (considered the main conspirator), Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, have not been disclosed. However, letters sent to the families of the attack victims suggested that the agreement might have involved sentencing the accused to life imprisonment.
Some families of the attack victims expressed their dissatisfaction with the settlement, arguing that it would result in avoiding a full trial and the potential death penalty for the conspirators. Austin cancelled the controversial agreement, and thus, as explained by Sky News, the perpetrators still face the death penalty.
Republicans immediately criticised President Biden's administration for negotiating with those accused of organising the most tragic terrorist attack in U.S. history since the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. The White House, however, denied having any information about the whole matter.
Austin's order
In an order issued on Friday, Austin revoked all authorisations from Gen. Susan Escallier, his subordinate, to negotiate with the accused. He stipulated that he has the exclusive right to decide on further steps.
According to information from the AP agency, the three accused were to submit formal requests for an agreement as early as next week. The trial of these individuals, as well as two other conspirators, is continuously postponed. They are being held in CIA detention at the Guantanamo base, where they were subjected to torture.
September 11 attack
The accused are charged with terrorism and causing the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, who died as a result of the hijacked passenger planes hitting the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the third crashing into the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001.
A fourth plane, which most likely aimed to hit Congress or the White House, crashed in Pennsylvania. This occurred due to actions taken by the passengers and crew, who realised the attackers' intentions. Everyone on board the plane died.
The September 11 attacks had far-reaching consequences, leading to the U.S. embarking on a "war on terror" globally and numerous military interventions, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
