Thanks to a military appeals court, the masterminds behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks are back on track when it comes to being spared from the death penalty. The decision came on Monday night and became a trending topic over X for Tuesday, with many expressing outrage at the outgoing Biden-Harris administration as a result.
Over the summer, a plea deal was reached with three masterminds of the attack, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who would have been spared the death penalty had they pled guilty. Outrage was so swift and severe, that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin moved to throw out the plea deals. The military appeals court has prevented him from doing so, however.
As the Associated Press reported:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A military appeals court has ruled against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to throw out the plea deals reached for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants in the 9/11 attacks, a U.S. official said.
The decision puts back on track the agreements that would have the three men plead guilty to one of the deadliest attacks on the United States in exchange for being spared the possibility of the death penalty. The attacks by al-Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001, and helped spur U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in what the George W. Bush administration called its war on terror.
The military appeals court released its ruling Monday night, according to the U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
...
Within days of news of the plea deal this summer, Austin issued a brief order saying he was nullifying them.
He cited the gravity of the 9/11 attacks in saying that as defense secretary, he should decide on any plea agreements that would spare the defendants the possibility of execution.
Defense lawyers said Austin had no legal authority to reject a decision already approved by the Guantanamo court’s top authority and said the move amounted to unlawful interference in the case.
The military judge hearing the 9/11 case, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, had agreed that Austin lacked standing to throw out the plea bargains after they were underway. That had set up the Defense Department’s appeal to the military appeals court.
Austin now has the option of taking his effort to throw out the plea deals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There's also mention of the Biden-Harris administration when it comes to Guantanamo Bay, and how this outgoing administration has transferred out prisoners just this month:
The Biden administration, pressed by rights groups to free remaining Guantanamo detainees held without charge, transferred out three other men this month. The U.S. says it is searching for suitable and stable countries willing to receive the remaining 14.
In a statement, the U.S. military said it had worked with authorities in Tunisia for the “responsible transfer” of al-Yazidi. He had been a prisoner at Guantanamo since 2002, when the U.S. began sending Muslim detainees taken abroad there.
Al-Yazidi is the last of a dozen Tunisian men once held at Guantanamo.
Of those remaining at Guantanamo, seven — including Mohammed and his 9/11 co-defendants — face active cases. Two others of the 26 total have been convicted and sentenced by the military commission.
Per the report, Austin can appeal the decision, though the Pentagon did not respond for comment. There's also the holiday week to contend with.
Many chiming in over X made sure to remind that the blame lies with the Biden administration, pointing to the stain that President Joe Biden's time in office has been. "Truly the worst, most morally reprehensible president in modern history," Bonchie at our sister site of RedState posted about Biden.
Big news: Joe Biden’s plea deals with the 9/11 masterminds are back in effect. The Pentagon, which stepped in to stop them, has lost its appeal.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 31, 2024
He’s burning everything down on his way out. Truly the worst, most morally reprehensible president in modern history. pic.twitter.com/GmpjB6QZBC
BREAKING: Joe Biden’s original plea deal with the 9/11 masterminds now in effect following court ruling. Their lives will be spared. pic.twitter.com/W7kAH87VNB
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 31, 2024
🚨Wow. The Biden Administration is cutting sweetheart deals with the 9/11 masterminds on the way out the door.
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) December 31, 2024
Is Joe Biden the worst President in American history? pic.twitter.com/4vJH1X6IYY
Again, it took pressure for Austin to cancel those plea deals, and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was also particularly incompetent when asking reporters' questions about the matter. As has usually been the case for this press secretary and this administration, Jean-Pierre could barely offer an apology to those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and passed the blame on to someone else. The White House even claimed Biden had no idea until the night before.
Should the decision stand, the three terrorists will not be the only ones who were spared from death row. Last week, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, though the sentences of those who committed "terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder" were not commuted. That decision came just two days before Christmas.
REPORTER: The NYC Firefighters Union put out a statement condemning the 9/11 plea deal. Does the administation have a message for them?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 1, 2024
KJP: "Our hearts go out to the families who lost a loved one. We didn’t have a role in this." pic.twitter.com/Z5T2ddoOMj
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