WASHINGTON – A military appeals court ruled Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cannot withdraw plea agreements for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of masterminding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a U.S. official told CBS News. Confirmed it.
If the Pentagon does not appeal the decision to a federal appeals court in Washington, Mohammed could plead guilty to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as early as next week. As of Tuesday morning, the Pentagon had not submitted any applications to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, according to this official.
If the plea agreement goes through, all three men will plead guilty in separate hearings and, in exchange, the death penalty will be dropped.
military prosecutor plea deal reached with Mohammed and two alleged associates, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin 'Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, in late July after more than two years of negotiations. The agreements were approved by a senior Pentagon official who oversees the military court at Guantanamo Bay.
But a few days after the deals were announced, Austin said he was Cancellation of pre-trial agreementsThe defense secretary wrote in a memo that “given the importance” of the deals, “responsibility for such decisions should rest with me.”
Meanwhile, the defense counsel, argued plea agreements Still stood by and questioned whether Austin had ordered an undue or illegal influence.
The military judge overseeing the case, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, ruled in November that Plea deals are valid and enforceable After learning that Austin had overstepped his authority when canceling the agreements.
Three Guantanamo Bay detainees were captured by the US in 2003, but their prosecution was delayed for years due to legal delays over whether evidence obtained during their interrogation in secret CIA prisons could be used in court Is. He was transferred to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2006 and formally charged in 2008.
Prosecutors tell families of 9/11 victims that three were detained agreed to plead guilty In exchange for a life sentence on conspiracy and murder charges, the death penalty was removed as a possible punishment. They also agreed to answer questions from family members about their role in the terrorist attacks and the reasons behind their conduct.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks 23 years ago, when two hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City; the third hit the Pentagon outside Washington, DC; And the fourth, headed for Washington, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Contributed to this report.