Military Court Upholds Plea Deals for 9/11 Defendants, Blocking Pentagon’s Challenge

The ruling allows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-conspirators to avoid the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas to the 9/11 attacks.

A U.S. military appeals court ruled that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lacked authority to nullify plea deals approved for three 9/11 defendants.
Under the agreements, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi will plead guilty to war crimes and serve life sentences, avoiding the death penalty.
The court's decision follows a decade of legal delays, complicated by allegations of CIA torture that could undermine evidence in the case.
Defense Secretary Austin argued that the gravity of the attacks required his oversight, but the court deemed his intervention unlawful.
The Pentagon is reviewing the ruling and may appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, potentially delaying proceedings further.