U.S. Appeals Court Overturns Plea Deal for 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Clearing Path for Death Penalty
The U.S. Court of Appeals annulled a plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, allowing the government to pursue the death penalty for the 9/11 attacks mastermind.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammad’s Just Deserts
New York Sun
Overview
- The U.S. Court of Appeals annulled a plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, in a 2-1 decision.
- The court upheld Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's authority to cancel plea agreements, clearing the way for potential death penalty proceedings.
- Critics argue the decision undermines justice and accountability, as the plea deal would have allowed victim families to ask questions of the defendants.
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, captured in 2003, is currently detained at Guantanamo Bay, accused of orchestrating the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
- The plea deal, negotiated during the Biden administration, was rejected despite being aimed at providing some form of accountability for victims' families.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the plea deal's rejection as a complex legal and ethical issue, highlighting the divided opinions among victims' families. They emphasize the lengthy pre-trial process and the implications of torture on evidence, suggesting a bias towards justice and transparency over expediency in legal resolutions.
"A divided federal appeals court has thrown out a plea agreement that would have allowed accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, US media report."
BBC News"The decision by a panel of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., undoes an attempt to wrap up more than two decades of military prosecution beset by legal and logistical troubles."
CBS News"The decision by a panel of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., undoes an attempt to wrap up more than two decades of military prosecution beset by legal and logistical troubles."
Military TimesArticles (10)
FAQ
Under the plea deal, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants would have pleaded guilty to their roles in the 9/11 attacks in exchange for life imprisonment, avoiding the death penalty.
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Defense Secretary 'indisputably' had the legal authority to withdraw the plea agreements, allowing the government to pursue the death penalty.
The decision leaves the decades-long case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in limbo, continuing protracted pretrial proceedings with the possibility of the death penalty now back on the table.
Critics argue that the decision undermines justice and accountability, as the plea deal would have allowed victims' families to question the defendants and potentially resolve the case after years of delays.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, with charges including murder in violation of the law of war and terrorism, among others.
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