Military appeals court rules defense secretary couldn't rescind 9/11 plea deals
CBSN
Washington — A military appeals court ruled Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could not withdraw plea agreements for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and two other defendants, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.
Mohammed could plead guilty as early as next week at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, if the Pentagon does not appeal the decision to the federal appeals court in Washington. As of Tuesday morning, the Pentagon had not submitted any filings to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, according to this official.
If the plea agreements do go through, the three men will plead guilty in separate hearings, and in exchange, the death penalty will be taken off the table.
