The US Defense Minister Revoked The Negotiation Agreement For The September 9 Attack That Made Controversy

UNSPLASH/Aaron Lee ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of Defense, Lylod Austin, withdrew the negotiations for the mastermind of the September 11 attack (9/11) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 2 accomplices.

Reported by ABC News, Saturday, August 3, Defense Secretary Austin took over a military court in 03 after the announcement of a negotiation agreement led to controversy in the US public.

This decision indicates the validity of the death penalty for three of the five defendants 9/11. Previously, in the negotiation agreement with the perpetrator (plea bargain) who masterminded the September 11 attacks, it was possible to escape the death penalty in exchange for a guilty confession related to the attack on the World Trade Center.

Austin's move was quietly announced by the Department of Defense in a memo from Austin posted on the Pentagon's press website Friday, August 2 evening.

Austin wrote a memo to retired Brigadier General Susan K. Escallier who previously agreed to a defense agreement for Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi.

Austin said he took over responsibility for the cases.

"I have decided that, given the importance of a decision to hold a pre-trial agreement with the defendant in the case mentioned above, the responsibility for the decision must be in my hands as the highest authority to hold a meeting under the Military Commission Law. 2009," Austin wrote.

"Immediately effective, I hereby withdraw your authority in the cases mentioned above to enter into a pretrial agreement and hand over the authority to myself," Austin continued.

Under this authority Austin said, "I hereby withdraw from the three pre-trial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024 in the case mentioned above."