Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed a memo withdrawing a controversial plea deal for the three men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks. The plea deal, which had been negotiated among the accused men, their attorneys, and the convening authority for military commissions, involved the defendants pleading guilty to lesser charges to avoid the death penalty. Austin, as the superior convening authority, revoked the deal and reserved for himself the authority to enter into pre-trial agreements. The terms of the revoked deal are unknown.
The decision to revoke the plea deal was praised by Congressional Republicans, who had expressed concern about the previous agreement. A grassroots movement of 9/11 victims’ families also expressed frustration at not being consulted or notified about the plea deal or its revocation. Former Attorney General Eric Holder criticized the deal, blaming political interference for its failure.
The slow progress of the defendants’ cases in the military commissions system prompted some to advocate for a federal trial in the past. Former Attorney General William Barr called the military commissions a “hopeless mess” and expressed confidence in obtaining a conviction in federal court.
Following Austin’s decision, Republican-led House committees announced investigations into the White House’s role in the plea deal, while Speaker Mike Johnson linked the decision to letters from GOP legislators. Former President Barack Obama’s administration had planned to bring the accused men to trial in federal court in Manhattan, but the transfer was blocked by Congress, leading to their prosecution in military commissions.
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