© H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY NETWORK + © NorthJersey.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
(Washington, DC) – A Pentagon appeals court has said that plea deals can move forward for the men who conspired with the hijackers ahead of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Over the summer, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin blocked the plea deals — but a military judge overruled him. Now, the appeals court says that judge acted properly in doing so.
The decision says Austin acted beyond the scope of his authority in blocking the plea deals. It adds that while the Secretary of Defense can negotiate plea deals, they cannot be negotiated retroactively.
Among the men in the agreement are 9-11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. He will reportedly agree to plead guilty to war crimes, in exchange for a life sentence in prison — sparring him the potential death penalty at a trial. The accused, prosecutors say, worked with the hijackers before around 3,000 people were murdered in Lower Manhattan, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
Family members of victims have widely objected to the plea deals. Many say a trial is needed to uncover still-unknown aspects of 9-11, including whether or not Saudi Arabia’s government was involved.
