Pentagon Chief’s 9/11 Plea Deal Rejection Sparks Outrage
A military appeals court rejected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s attempt to nullify plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 defendants. These agreements, reached after years of negotiations, would see the men plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. The court’s decision upholds the deals, which had been challenged by Austin citing the severity of the attacks. Austin may appeal to a civilian court, while the separate repatriation of a long-held detainee leaves 26 men remaining at Guantanamo Bay.
John Q. Hosedrinker