- Terrorism of 11 September: Justice deal met with criticism
An agreement announced by the U.S. government between the justice department and the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and other co-defendants has sparked confusion among Republicans and some victims' families. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sharply criticized the deal in a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.
Comer also demanded clarification on whether the government played a role in the negotiations. This was denied by Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, on Thursday.
Previously, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants wanted to reach a plea agreement with the justice department. The details of the agreement and the further procedure were not initially disclosed.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been detained at the notorious U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for many years. According to U.S. media reports, he would avoid the death penalty through this agreement. Central to the deal were reportedly torture allegations against the U.S. Legal experts warned that any confessions in a court trial might not hold up due to this.
New York firefighters "betrayed and appalled"
Republicans immediately criticized the agreement. "This sends a message to our enemies that the United States is not prepared to pursue those who attack our country with the full force of the law," Comer wrote. He also lamented a "complete lack of transparency." Similarly, his party colleague Mike Johnson, who serves as the Speaker of the House, had previously expressed critical views, stating that Biden's government had done the "unthinkable." The families of the victims "deserve better."
After the agreement was made public, several first responders and victims' relatives spoke out against it in U.S. media. The union representing New York firefighters stated that its members felt "betrayed and appalled."
Nearly 3,000 people died
On September 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history resulted in the deaths of around 3,000 people. Islamic terrorists hijacked three passenger planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington. A fourth plane crashed in the state of Pennsylvania. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is considered the mastermind behind the attacks and is also said to have handled the communication and financing of the operation.
He was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and subsequently interrogated by the CIA. According to a report by the U.S. Senate, he was tortured during the interrogations. In 2006, he was transferred to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, where he was to be tried by a military tribunal. However, the trial against him and several co-defendants has been delayed for many years.
The agreement with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants could potentially see them serving their sentences in prison camps instead of facing the death penalty. This prospect has been met with strong disapproval from New York firefighters, who feel "betrayed and appalled" by the decision.
Given the controversial nature of the 9/11 attacks and the allegations of torture against Mohammed, there is a valid concern that any plea agreement could lead to prison camps housing terrorists involved in the attacks.
