The US appeals court upheld Lloyd Austin's decision to withdraw the plea agreement for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged 9/11 mastermind. The withdrawal aims to allow a trial before a military commission. Mohammed, held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003, could still face a lengthy legal process fraught with challenges. Previous military rulings had reinstated the plea deals, but Austin's decision was deemed legally justified by the appeals court, emphasizing proper legal protocols in these proceedings.
An appeals court in the United States has validated the decision of former Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin to withdraw a plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001.
Austin revoked the deal in August of last year, saying that the US public and victims' families deserve the opportunity to see the case brought to trial before a military commission.
A military judge reinstated the plea agreements in November, and a military appeals court affirmed the decision one month later.
The court of appeals in Washington, DC, ultimately ruled that Austin was right to wait for the outcome of the plea negotiations before revoking the deals.
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