The Biden administration is contesting a plea agreement that would spare Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, and two other Guantánamo Bay detainees from the death penalty. The administration has appealed to a federal court to halt the deal, arguing that it deprives the public of a trial and the potential for capital punishment.
A military appeals court recently rejected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's attempt to block the plea deal, asserting that he lacked the authority to overturn it. The court affirmed the validity of the agreement between military prosecutors and defense lawyers.
The government's appeal underscores the gravity of the 9/11 attacks, describing them as "the most egregious criminal act on American soil in modern history." They argue that accepting the guilty pleas would irreversibly prevent a public trial and the pursuit of capital punishment.
The plea deal, reached during the summer, has drawn widespread condemnation from 9/11 victims and politicians. Critics argue that the perpetrators of such a heinous crime should face the full force of the law.
The Pentagon rescinded the plea agreements in July, with Secretary Austin stating his authority to withdraw them. Coincidentally, the Biden administration recently transferred 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Oman for resettlement. This group included two former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, all held for over two decades without charges or trial.
This transfer occurred just days before Mohammed was scheduled to plead guilty under the now-contested agreement. The transfer, planned for years, faced prior opposition from Congress.
