U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed a memo stating that he reserves special powers to enter into pre-trial agreements with defendants in cases related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. As reported on the Pentagon's website, the Secretary also refused to sign pre-trial agreements that had previously been signed in these cases, UNN reported.
Details
"Today, Secretary Austin signed a memo in which he retains special authority to enter into pretrial agreements with defendants in the 9/11 military commission cases. In addition, the Secretary... also rejected the pretrial agreements that had been signed in these cases," the Pentagon's website reported.
On Friday, Austin relieved Susan Escalier, who, according to Voice of America, is in charge of the Pentagon's military court at Guantanamo Bay, of her authority to make pre-trial agreements in the case and took responsibility himself.
"As of this moment, I revoke your authority to enter into a pre-trial agreement in the above-mentioned case and reserve such authority to myself," the memo reads, "As of this moment, in the exercise of my authority, I revoke the three pre-trial agreements you signed on July 31, 2024, in the above-mentioned case.
Addendum
On July 31, it became known that plea agreements had been reached with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of organizing the September 11 attacks, and two of his accomplices. All three prisoners are being held in the US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The Pentagon did not provide details of the deal, but The New York Times, citing anonymous sources in the Defense Department, reported that the prisoners had agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for life in prison.
Організатор терактів 11 вересня визнав себе винним01.08.24, 02:20
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is an al-Qaeda militant accused by the United States of being the main architect of the 2001 terrorist attacks, during which terrorists hijacked four passenger planes - two of them crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, one was directed at the Pentagon building, and another airliner crashed in Pennsylvania.