At left, families and guests visit the Pentagon Memorial after a ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack. A flag hangs on the building at the point where terrorists crashed a plane. On right, a member of the honor guard salutes the wreath hung at the memorial outside the building that houses Fire Co. 10, who lost members in the attacks of September 11, 2001 in Lower Manhattan.
© 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.
