A memo was quietly released Friday night by the Department of Defense and Secretary Lloyd Austin revoking the plea agreement the Department had made earlier in the week with 3 of the 9/11 masterminds, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Mohammed has been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2003. The announcement this week of the plea deal with life sentences enraged survivors and family members of 9/11.

The memo from Austin was addressed to Susan Escallier, who runs the military courts in Guantanamo Bay. Austin immediately withdrew Ecallier’s authority in the cases. While taking the authority from Escallier, Austin stated in the memo that the authority should fall to him on such important cases and that he would have the final word.

A possible plea deal had been discussed for over two years by prosecutors in the cases as they tried to avoid a lengthy and costly trial. A trial will have issues with admissible evidence. Statements coerced during the torture of the defendants at Guantanamo Bay may not be used against them. The original trial date was set for 2021, but the retirement of two judges and the Covid pandemic delayed its start.

Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN Thursday that the plea deal “sends a horribly bad signal at a very dangerous time.” Senator Richard Blumenthal said, “When we fight terrorists and we have them in custody, we need to hold them accountable with the kinds of penalties that really do justice to the victims.”

Image: Composite AP