A military judge is putting controversial plea deals involving 9/11 terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants on the table, contrary to an order by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin earlier this year.
The official, whose name was withheld, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the decision to restore the contracts was made by Air Force Col. and Judge Matthew McCall. The US military has not yet announced the decision.
Requests for compensation in the long-running terrorist case were struck earlier this summer. The defendants are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the agreements have been approved by the top officer of the Gitmo military commission.
If pleas for clemency go ahead, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks – and two other suspects will avoid the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea.
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A judge recently issued an order upholding a plea deal involving Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. (Getty Images)
Plea agreements have been rejected by a number of 9/11 victims and US politicians. The Pentagon canceled the deals in July.
“Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements you signed on July 31, 2024,” the letter from Austin said.
The Biden administration has distanced itself from the deals. In July, Pentagon officials said Austin was surprised by news of the deals.
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Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a suspected al Qaeda terrorist, is shown in this photo released by the FBI on October 10, 2001 in Washington, DC Mohammed was arrested at a house in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (Getty Images)
“This is not something the secretary was contacted about,” Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said at the time. “We didn’t know if the prosecution or the defense would enter into the terms of the plea agreement.”
Terry Strada, national chairman of 9/11 Families United, criticized the compensation claims on Fox News Digital earlier this year.
“[The terrorists] they committed this heinous crime in the United States,” Strada said. “They should have faced charges, faced guilt and faced punishment. Since when did the people involved in the killing get a gun?”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Louis Casiano of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.