Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has withdrawn a controversial plea deal for the three men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks. Austin took specific authority over pre-trial agreements in the case, withdrawing from the agreements that had been signed. The accused men, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, were expected to plead guilty to lesser charges to avoid the death penalty, but the terms of the revoked deal remain unknown. Congressional Republicans praised Austin’s decision to revoke the deal, with some saying the accused terrorists should face the death penalty. Families of 9/11 victims expressed frustration over not being consulted about the plea deal. The White House National Security Council declined to comment, and the Defense Department only referred to the press release. The plea deal had originally been criticized by families of victims and members of Congress, leading to investigations by Republican-led committees. Former Attorney General Eric Holder criticized the deal and suggested that the accused men should have been tried in federal court in Manhattan instead of through the military commissions system. The slow progress of the defendants’ cases through the military commissions system garnered support for a federal trial from some former government officials.
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