9/11 Plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Plea Deal Scrapped By US

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday overturned a plea agreement with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, just two days after a deal was reportedly reached that would have removed the death penalty as a possible outcome.

The agreements, which also involved two of Mohammed's alleged accomplices, had appeared to push their long-delayed cases closer to resolution but sparked significant backlash from some relatives of those who perished in the September 11, 2001, attacks.

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In a memorandum addressed to Susan Escallier, who was overseeing the case, Austin emphasised the gravity of the decision, stating, "I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused... responsibility for such a decision should rest with me."

He further clarified, "I hereby withdraw from the three pre-trial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024 in the above-referenced case."

The defendants, including Mohammed, have been detained at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba for years, with their cases mired in pre-trial complexities.

According to reports from The New York Times, Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi had agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life sentences, avoiding the possibility of execution.

However, these legal maneuvers have been heavily influenced by the contentious issue of whether the men could receive a fair trial after enduring systematic torture by the CIA in the aftermath of 9/11.