THE Pentagon has lost its bid to throw out the plea deals for the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and his accomplices.
The move allows the agreement reached by Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged architect of the 9/11 attacks against the United States, and his accomplices Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi in July to move forward.
A December 2008 sketch of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (center) and co-defendant Walid Bin Attash (left) at a pre-trial session at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba
The latest picture of accused terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Guantánamo Bay in June 2024Provided
Mohammad, Attash, and al-Hawsawi pleaded guilty on July 31 in exchange for being spared from the death penalty.
The deal would allow the trio to serve a life sentence.
However, within days of the news of the plea deal, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin quickly issued a motion to try and halt the agreement.
In his brief, Austin cited the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks and argued that as defense secretary, he should decide on any plea agreements that would save the three men from the death penalty.
But, the defense attorneys for the suspected terrorists argued Austin had no legal authority to reject a decision that was already approved by the Guantánamo Bay court’s top command.
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