Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin voided the plea agreements for al Qaeda’s planner of the 9/11 attacks Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two of his accomplices that would have sentenced the trio to life in prison, the New York Times reports. On top of overriding the deal, Austin also relieved the lawyer overseeing the case, Brig. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, of her role overseeing the prosecution.
With Austin taking direct management of the case, Pentagon lawyers can continue to pursue the death penalty for the defendants. “I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused in the above-referenced case, responsibility for such a decision should rest with me as the superior convening authority under the Military Commissions Act of 2009,” Lloyd said in the announcement. “Effective immediately, I hereby withdraw your authority in the above-referenced case to enter into a pre-trial agreement and reserve such authority to myself.”