Lloyd Austin Scraps Plea Deal With Accused 9/11 Mastermind
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday revoked a plea deal for the accused plotters of the September 11 terrorist attacks, putting the death penalty back in play just days after the agreement had been reached.
In a memo, Austin noted the senior Defense Department official responsible for military commissions, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier, had been relieved of her oversight of the case against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his alleged accomplices.
“I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused in the above-referenced case, responsibility for such a decision should rest with me as the superior convening authority under the Military Commissions Act of 2009,” he wrote. “Effective immediately, I hereby withdraw your authority in the above-referenced case to enter into a pre-trial agreement and reserve such authority to myself.”