After attacks in the USA
Terror of September 11th: Court temporarily stops judicial deal
More than two decades after the attacks, the outgoing US government wants to prevent the alleged mastermind from reaching an agreement with the American judiciary. It’s also about the death penalty.
At the request of the government of US President Joe Biden, an appeals court in Washington has initially stopped an agreement between the judiciary and the alleged chief planner of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as other co-defendants. The court imposed a temporary “administrative stay” – i.e. a temporary suspension of the proceedings. This will pause all steps related to the proposed agreement until a final decision is made.
The defense ministry had argued in the appeals court application that “the harm to the government and the public would be irreparable” if the court allowed the settlement. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had already tried to block this in the summer, but a military court declared his move invalid. As a result, the agreement between the defendants and the judiciary came into force again.
Worst terrorist attack in US history
On September 11, 2001, around 3,000 people were killed in the worst terrorist attack to date in the United States. Islamist terrorists piloted three hijacked passenger planes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington. A fourth plane crashed in the state of Pennsylvania.
US Secretary of Defense made a U-turn after criticism
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Khalid, who has been imprisoned for years in the notorious US prison camp Guantánamo in Cuba, is considered the main planner of the attacks. He is said to have organized both the financing and communications for the operation. Together with two co-defendants, he is seeking an agreement with the judiciary, a so-called plea deal, in which he wants to plead guilty. The exact details of the agreement have not yet been published. According to US media, they will be spared the death penalty as part of the agreement.
Austin initially supported the agreement, but withdrew his support after severe criticism.
The outgoing US government recently released eleven more prisoners from the Guantanamo prison camp and transferred them to Oman. Those released were men from Yemen. The prison camp is located in Cuba at the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay. At one point, almost 800 people were imprisoned there. The camp was set up after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the USA under President George W. Bush to hold suspected Islamist terrorists without trial. Human rights groups have long called for the closure.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
