Republicans propose legislation to reverse 9/11 plea bargains

Congressional Republicans are proposing a new bill to prevent the administration from granting plea bargains to suspected 9/11 terrorists.

The 9/11 defendants and the government reached a pretrial agreement that eliminated the possibility of the death penalty as a punishment option. However, legislation sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton and Mitch McConnell could restore it.

The Justice for 9/11 Act mandates that the military court cannot grant plea deals to the 9/11 terrorists and instead requires a trial, with the death penalty remaining a possibility in sentencing.

As President Biden reduces the number of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in his final days, the bill mandates that the defendants remain in solitary confinement on the Cuban island and prevents them from being extradited to another country.

In the House, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is introducing companion legislation. With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency, the bill has a good chance of being enacted into law.

The Biden-Harris administration's decision to offer a plea deal without the death penalty to those responsible for the 9/11 attacks is a betrayal to the families of the victims and the first responders who risked their lives to save them. The Justice for 9/11 Act will ensure that this plea deal is nullified and no future deals are made with those who committed this heinous crime.

The plea deal aimed to expedite the resolution of three of the 9/11 terrorism cases by avoiding trials. However, administrative delays, debates over the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture, and the COVID-19 pandemic have prolonged the trials for the suspected terrorists for decades, with some cases still not commencing.

"Cotton, R-Ark., stated that those monsters should have faced justice decades ago, but instead, Joe Biden set the stage for them to go free. He proposed a bill to stop this injustice and prevent the Biden administration from further replenishing the ranks of terrorist enemies before he leaves office."

McConnell stated that in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, it is our duty to bring justice to those responsible for September 11th, no matter how long it takes.

In an attempt to reverse the plea deals of three detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced opposition earlier this year. Nevertheless, a military appeals court ruled last week that Austin could not rescind the deals struck by military prosecutors and defense attorneys, and the deals were legally binding.

There is no evidence that the Pentagon has sought emergency review from the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court.

This week, a hearing will take place at Guantanamo Bay, during which Mohammad and two other defendants may enter guilty pleas in separate proceedings, with the possibility of the death penalty being eliminated as a punishment.

In the upcoming week, hearings will be held for Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, both co-defendants accused of aiding the hijackers with finances and travel.

In his last days in office, Biden attempted to reduce operations at Guantanamo Bay, fulfilling a campaign pledge to close the expensive prison that has a history of torture allegations.

On Monday, the administration declared that 11 Yemeni detainees, including two alleged bodyguards for Usama bin Laden, would be resettled in Oman. As a result, the total number of men at the prison has decreased to its lowest point since 2002, with only 15 men remaining.