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[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to CNN on the 3rd, US Defense Secretary Austin announced on the 2nd that the plea agreement reached with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his accomplices was invalid. The New York Times said that Austin's decision relieved the families of the 9/11 victims who were dissatisfied with the plea agreement, but also increased the uncertainty of the case.

U.S. Defense Secretary Austin data source: Visual China

According to reports, on July 31, the Pentagon announced that it had reached a plea agreement with Mohammed and two other defendants, Atash and Hausawi, which stipulated that the three pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence, that is, to avoid the death penalty. The announcement of the plea agreement triggered strong opposition from American politicians and some people, especially Republicans and civil groups representing the victims of 9/11. After Austin announced the abolition of the agreement, a Pentagon official said that the decision was made by the minister personally and the White House was not involved. The official also said that Austin never supported the plea agreement and hoped that the trial of the three people would continue.

According to reports, some families of the 9/11 victims who were "disappointed and angry" about the plea agreement expressed their gratitude to Austin for his intervention. Terri Strand, whose husband died in 9/11, said: "I am very happy to see the Pentagon intervene and I am glad that the death penalty is an option again." Catherine Viggiano also welcomed the decision. Her police husband and firefighter brother were both killed in the incident. She called the announcement "the best birthday gift for my family."

However, not everyone is positive about this decision, especially the team of lawyers who worked hard to finalize the plea agreement. "I am deeply disappointed. After so many years, the government has not learned a lesson from this case," said Sowards, Mohammed's chief lawyer. The agreement was reportedly reached after two years of negotiations. In 2008, Mohammed and others were accused of crimes including murder in violation of the laws of war, attacks on civilians, attacks on civilian facilities, terrorism and provision of terrorist materials. The US government said it would seek the death penalty for Mohammed, but since then the case has been affected by a variety of factors including the CIA prisoner abuse scandal, partisan struggles in the United States, and differences among different social groups in the United States on the demands for terrorist trials, and has been slow to make progress. In 2009, then-US Attorney General Eric Holder announced plans to prosecute three people in the US Criminal Court in Manhattan, which triggered strong opposition from residents of Lower Manhattan and Republicans. Holder then abandoned the plan and the case continued to be handled by the military court. After the plea agreement was canceled, Holder commented: "(The negotiating team) was dragged down by political speculators and ideologies who have lost confidence in our judicial system." (Yan Qing)