Accused 9/11 terrorists’ plea deal withdrawn by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has withdrawn the plea deal for the three men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks. This decision gives him the specific authority to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused and withdraws any previous agreements that were signed in those cases. The move was announced in a memo to Susan Escallier, who had previously been working to negotiate the deal. The accused men, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, had reached plea agreements to avoid the death penalty. However, Austin’s decision now puts a halt to those agreements. The accused men were scheduled to appear at a hearing in Guantánamo Bay in Cuba next week. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is believed to be a mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on the situation, referring inquiries to the Defense Department. This is a developing story and updates are expected..nbNBC News politics reporter Megan Lebowitz is following the story, with contributions from Tim Stelloh and Courtney Kube.

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