In a dramatic reversal, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has invalidated a plea deal that would have allowed the men accused of orchestrating the September 11 attacks to avoid the death penalty.
On Wednesday, a deal was announced where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi were set to plead guilty to conspiracy charges. This agreement, however, faced significant backlash as it would have spared them from capital punishment, instead sentencing them to life in prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Just two days later, Defense Secretary Austin intervened, overriding the agreement and taking personal responsibility for the case. Austin removed Susan Escallier, who had been managing the Guantanamo war court, from her role in negotiating pre-trial agreements and has now assumed control himself.
In a formal statement, Austin announced the immediate withdrawal of the plea agreements, reverting the cases back to death penalty status. He cited the gravity of the plea deal and its implications as reasons for his decision.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, identified as the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, was captured in Pakistan in 2003.
* Sky News contributed to this article.
