US reinstates plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, other 9/11 suspects

Military justice rules Defense Secretary Austin did not person the authorization to rescind plea agreements with 3 accused.

A United States subject justice has ruled that plea agreements reached with the alleged plotters of the September 11, 2001, attacks are valid, reversing an bid by the country’s defence minister.

The bid by the judge, Air Force Colonel Matthew McCall, means the 3 accused men whitethorn yet beryllium sentenced to beingness successful situation alternatively of decease arsenic portion of the woody reached earlier, The New York Times and The Associated Press quality bureau reported connected Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded the 3 abstracted pretrial agreements connected August 2, 2 days aft a elder Pentagon authoritative signed them.

But the subject justice astatine Guantanamo Bay successful Cuba ordered that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind, and 2 accused accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, tin appear earlier his court to participate pleas. He is reportedly yet to acceptable a timetable.

The justice argued that Austin had the authorization to exert supervision implicit the process erstwhile it was ongoing, but did not person the ineligible authority to rescind the plea deals arsenic the defence minister.

The Pentagon was reviewing the judge’s determination and had nary further comment, said its spokesperson Major-General Pat Ryder. Prosecutors person besides not commented connected the ruling, which has not yet been publically announced.

Mohammed and 4 others were charged successful 2012 with conspiring successful the attacks that killed astir 3,000 people, but the cases person for years been mired successful litigation implicit the torture of the defendants by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged 9/11 mastermind, is seen soon aft his seizure during a raid successful Pakistan [File: AP Photo]

Pretrial hearings were scheduled astatine Guantanamo Bay successful the lawsuit for different defendant, Ammar al-Baluchi, who has not reached a plea deal. The 5th defendant, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, was past September recovered incompetent to basal trial oregon scope a plea deal.

A forensic psychiatrist is reportedly expected to attest connected Thursday connected whether the defendants made their 2007 confessions nether torture oregon voluntarily, aft spending years successful concealed CIA prisons.

The cases are inactive expected to instrumentality a agelong clip earlier reaching the decorativeness enactment adjacent if verdicts and sentences are reached. A US tribunal of appeals would past apt person to perceive galore of the issues surrounding the cases – including the demolition of videos of interrogations by the CIA.

Mohammed was regarded arsenic 1 of al-Qaeda main Osama bin Laden’s astir trusted men earlier helium was captured successful a covert cognition successful Pakistan successful March 2003. He spent 3 years successful concealed CIA prisons earlier arriving successful Guantanamo successful 2006.

Bin Attash, a Saudi of Yemeni origin, allegedly trained 2 of the hijackers who carried retired the attacks. He was captured with Mohammed successful 2003 and was besides held successful a web of concealed CIA prisons.

Al-Hawsawi is suspected of managing the finances for the 9/11 attacks. He was arrested successful Pakistan connected March 1, 2003, and was besides held successful concealed prisons earlier being transferred to Guantanamo successful 2006.