Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to revoke a plea deal for 9/11 defendants likely came too late, military law experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The plea deal for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices faced prompt backlash from families of victims and lawmakers when it was announced July 31. Days later, Austin revoked the deal in a memo, writing that the responsibility should rest with him in light of the “significance of the decision.”
Now, a judge is weighing whether Austin had the authority to reverse the deal, the New York Times reported.
“He’s reaching in too late in the game, after the deal is already negotiated and approved,” Gary Barthel, founder of the Military Law Center, told the DCNF.