Defense Secretary Austin loses bid to toss 9/11 plea deals

A military appeals court on Monday night rejected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's bid to toss the plea deal his department reached with three of the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks in 2001. 

Austin attempted to revoke the plea deal in August, after other officials in the department offered the deal that included guilty pleas in exchange for removing the death penalty. The agreement prompted backlash in Congress.

A military judge last month reinstated the agreement, ruling that Austin lacked the authority to revoke it.

The three-paneled appeals court on Monday agreed that Austin lacked the authority to revoke the agreement and improperly rescinded the deals after discussions were already underway, NBC News reported. 

Chief Judge Lisa M. Schenck wrote the opinion in the case and said Austin's interference was “without precedent.”

The deal, which was orchestrated by Brig. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, and was offered to Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and co-defendants Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. 

Prosecutors allege that Mohammad in 1996 presented the idea to 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden of hijacking the planes and flying them into the Twin Towers in New York City and other sites on U.S. soil on Sept. 11, 2001.

Discussions related to the potential plea deal began in 2022, but stalled last year after the Biden administration refused to consider improving the prisoners' living conditions.

The Pentagon has not commented on the appeals court ruling so far.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.