9/11 Plea Deals Reinstated, Longest-Held Guantanamo Detainee Repatriated

Military Appeals Court Reinstates Plea Deals for 9/11 Defendants

A military appeals court has overturned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's attempt to reject plea deals reached with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants in the 9/11 attacks. This decision paves the way for the three men to plead guilty to one of the deadliest attacks on the United States in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

The plea agreements were initially reached after two years of negotiations between military prosecutors and defense attorneys. However, Austin intervened, citing the gravity of the 9/11 attacks and claiming that he should have the final say on any plea deals that would spare the defendants the possibility of execution.

Defense lawyers challenged Austin's authority, arguing that he had no legal basis to overturn a decision already approved by the Guantanamo court's top authority. The military judge presiding over the 9/11 case agreed, setting the stage for the Defense Department's appeal to the military appeals court.

The appeals court's ruling now allows the plea agreements to proceed. Austin still has the option to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but the Pentagon has not yet commented on its next steps.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has repatriated one of the longest-held detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, a Tunisian man who U.S. authorities approved for transfer over a decade ago. This repatriation leaves 26 men at Guantanamo, down from a peak population of around 700.

The Biden administration continues to face pressure from rights groups to release remaining Guantanamo detainees held without charge. This month, three other men were transferred out, and the U.S. is actively seeking suitable and stable countries to receive the remaining 14 detainees.