Biden administration handed big defeat in 9/11 ‘mastermind’ case after shocking U-turn

The Biden administration suffered a major defeat after a military court ruled against plans to reject plea deals for the terrorist “masterminds” of September 11, 2001.

Now Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his accomplices – Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawasawi – could be spared the death penalty.

The military appeals court reportedly released its ruling Monday evening, opening the door for the plea deals to be finalized.

Months ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin dramatically withdrew proposed plea deals for the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks following a backlash.

The Biden administration had struck a deal with Mohammed and his two accomplices to receive life sentences without the prospect of the death penalty in exchange for pleading guilty.

But it sparked widespread outrage among the families and lawmakers of 9/11 victims.

As a result, Austin placed the blame for the plea deal on retired Brigadier General Susan K Escallier, whom he fired from the case and took over the case himself.

In announcing the withdrawal of the plea deal, Austin said the high stakes of the case means that “the responsibility for such a decision must rest with me.”

He added: “Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three preliminary agreements signed by you on July 31, 2024.”

Brigadier General (Ret.) Susan K Escallier (left) offered the plea deals to the three suspects on Wednesday. She has now been removed from the case by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (right)

The plea deal announcement was the culmination of two years of negotiations between prosecutors and defense attorneys.

The case has been bogged down in preliminary hearings since 2012.

All three suspects have been held at Guantanamo Bay since the early 2000s.

News of Wednesday’s plea deal left the families of many of the 3,000 killed in the September 2001 terrorist attacks “deeply distressed.”

Some were angry that the option to execute suspected terrorists had been removed.

And many said they feared the deal would mean they would never find out who was really behind the attacks on New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania, amid suspicions that Saudi Arabia was deeply involved in the terror spectacle.

Justice 9/11 President Brett Eagleson told DailyMail.com in a statement that his group remains furious with the government for keeping the victims’ families in the dark.

Walid Bin Attash (left) and Mustafa al Hawasi (right) are now both facing new trials following the failed plea deal. They have been held at Guantanamo Bay since the early 2000s

The hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center and explodes at 9:03 a.m. on September 11. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on New York City, Washington DC and the downing of a United States unit. Airline plane in a field in Pennsylvania

“We are surprised and deeply frustrated that our families were not consulted or even informed of the settlement or its subsequent withdrawal,” Eagleson said.

“These monsters must be forced to share all the information they have about the attacks and be held fully responsible for the murder of our loved ones. “It’s not just about punishment, it’s about exposing the whole truth,” he added.

Eagleson hoped the decision “will not hinder our efforts to hold those responsible, including the Saudi government, accountable for their role in this horrific tragedy” and demanded “greater transparency and accountability.”