Defense Secretary strips Guantnamo official of power to reach settlements, after 9/11 plotter controversy

Source: The Independent

Friday 29 November 2024 01:02 GMT


Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked the authority of the official running the war court at Guantánamo Bay to reach settlements, the latest legal twist tied to a long-running drama over the fate of the alleged 9/11 plotters who are detained there.

In a memo dated Monday, obtained by The New York Times, Austin removed Susan K. Escallier’s ability to reach settlements in two separate cases, the U.S.S. Cole and Bali bombings, “effective immediately.” The move was meant to ensure “we aren’t surprised by anything for the remainder of the term,” a senior Defense Department official told the paper.

The controversy dates back to July 31, when military prosecutors reached an agreement with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices ahead of their capital trial. The men would plead guilty in exchange for receiving a life sentence. Two days later, Austin sought to revoke the agreements.

By November, a military judge ruled that the Defense Secretary had acted too late and the deals were valid. Military prosecutors have suggested they will appeal the decision.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/lloyd-austin-guantanamo-bay-911-b2655730.html