Guantanamo Bay 9/11 hearings in disarray after plea deal revoked

[ANCHOR]

THE MILITARY HEARINGS AT GUANTANAMO BAY FOR KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, THE ACCUSED MASTERMIND OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS, AND TWO OF HIS CO-DEFENDANTS ARE FACING A MAJOR UPHEAVAL. THE LEGAL CHAOS STEMS FROM DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN’S SUDDEN DECISION TO REVOKE A PLEA AGREEMENT PREVIOUSLY IN PLACE.

THE MOVE HAS THROWN THE CASE INTO DISARRAY, LEAVING DEFENSE TEAMS, PROSECUTORS, AND EVEN THE JUDGE SCRAMBLING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS AND WHAT COMES NEXT.

THE PLEA DEAL, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE DEFENDANTS TO AVOID THE DEATH PENALTY, RECEIVED SERIOUS PUSH BACK FROM ALL POLITICAL SIDES, WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND  FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE 9/11 VICTIMS QUESTIONING THE DECISION. SOME SAYING IT WAS LETTING THE ACCUSED OFF TOO EASY AND DEMANDING HARSHER PENALTIES.

A DEFENSE ATTORNEY REPRESENTING ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS, VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONTINUING IN A SYSTEM THAT SEEMS COMPROMISED — LABELING IT AS ‘UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.’

THE DEFENSE TEAM IS GEARING UP TO LEGALLY CHALLENGE SECRETARY AUSTIN’S ACTION.

THE LEAD ATTORNEY FOR KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, SAYS THAT NAVIGATING THESE NEW LEGAL CHALLENGES COULD PROLONG THE PROCESS BY SEVERAL YEARS, ADDING EVEN MORE TIME TO A CASE THAT HAS ALREADY DRAGGED ON FOR DECADES.

SECRETARY AUSTIN DEFENDED HIS DECISION IN A RECENT PRESS CONFERENCE. HE STRESSED HIS COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS CONDUCT TRANSPARENT AND FAIR TRIALS, REFLECTIVE OF THE GRAVITY OF THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11 AND THE LOSS SUFFERED.

LLOYD AUSTIN
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
“So this wasn’t a decision that I took lightly, but I have long believed that the families of the victims, our service members and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out in this case.”

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