House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., has vowed to continue investigating a controversial plea deal that would have taken the death penalty off the table for the alleged terrorists behind the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attacks. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently revoked the plea deal, which included 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, who are currently awaiting trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Rogers expressed his gratitude that Secretary Austin reversed the decision but emphasized that the plea deal should never have happened in the first place. He demanded answers from Austin on how the deal came about and requested documents related to the agreement.
The terms of the plea deal were never disclosed, but it sparked outrage among families of the 9/11 victims, as well as lawmakers and advocacy groups. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the 2001 terror attack, making it the deadliest in U.S. history.
After Austin’s decision to revoke the plea deal, questions remain about why he did not intervene earlier and why the terms of the agreement were not made public. The House Oversight Committee has also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deal.
The sudden reversal of the plea deal has been met with praise from victims’ groups and demands for justice. The Biden-Harris administration has yet to comment on the decision.
The investigation into the plea deal continues, with lawmakers and officials seeking answers and accountability for the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
