The US defence secretary has revoked a plea deal which would have seen the men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks avoid death sentences.
On Wednesday, it was announced that prosecutors had reached a deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi to plead guilty to conspiracy charges.
Just two days later, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has vetoed the deal which drew controversy as it would have seen the trio face a life sentence instead of the death penalty at Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Austin said he had relieved Susan Escallier, who oversees the Guantanamo war court, of her authority to enter into pre-trial agreements in the case and has taken on the responsibility himself.
In a letter he said he withdrew the three pre-trial agreements “effective immediately”, reinstating them as death penalty cases.
Mr Austin said he made the order “in light of the significance” of the plea agreement, which had been negotiated between the accused, their lawyers and Ms Escallier.
Mohammed, who is accused of being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks which killed 2,977 people, was captured in Pakistan in 2003.
He has been held at Guantanamo Bay along with Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi since December 2006. A year later, he confessed to masterminding the 9/11 attacks and multiple other terrorist incidents after being tortured during interrogations.
Mohammad, Mustafa Al-Hawsawi (pictured) and Walid bin Attash have been held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly two decades. Pic: US Department of Justice
The three were expected to formally enter their guilty pleas under the deal as soon as next week.
The decision to strike a deal with the three suspects upset some families of 9/11 victims.
Terry Strada, national chairwoman of 9/11 Families United, said many wanted to see the men admit guilt in a trial.
“For me personally, I wanted to see a trial. And they just took away the justice I was expecting, a trial and the punishment,” she said.
“They were cowards when they planned the attack. And they’re cowards today.”
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Michael Burke, whose fire captain brother Billy died in the collapse of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, said: “To me, it always been disgraceful that these guys, 23 years later, have not been convicted and punished for their attacks, or the crime.
“I never understood how it took so long.”
Ramzi bin al Shibh, who was also due to stand trial over charges of helping the planning of 9/11, was ruled unfit for proceedings last year as torture in CIA custody has left him delusional and psychotic.
Another defendant – Ammar al-Baluchi – was not included in the plea agreement.