WH Comments On Deal
Let’s dive into some heavy news that’s making waves across the nation. The White House recently stated that President Biden had no involvement in the plea deal process for three of the key figures behind the September 11 attacks. This announcement comes after a deal was reached between military prosecutors and the accused masterminds, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, which will reportedly spare them from the death penalty.
First, let’s unpack the details. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told Fox News Digital that the White House only learned about the plea agreements the day before they were announced.
They emphasized that President Biden and his administration were not part of the negotiation process, which was handled by military prosecutors. However, the president has directed his team to consult with the Department of Defense as necessary.
This plea deal marks a significant development in the long, drawn-out legal proceedings surrounding the 9/11 attacks. The case has been stuck in pretrial limbo for years at Guantánamo Bay, largely due to debates over the admissibility of evidence obtained through the CIA’s controversial enhanced interrogation techniques—methods that have been widely condemned as torture.
REPORTER: What’s your message to the families of 9/11 victims who are upset the Harris-Biden admin spared the mastermind of 9/11 from a trial and the death penalty?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Sorry pic.twitter.com/THJC8hGkZf
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 1, 2024
While the specifics of the deal have not been fully disclosed, it’s known that the agreement spares the defendants from facing the death penalty. This aspect of the deal has sparked a lot of emotions, especially among the families of 9/11 victims who have been waiting over two decades for justice.
For many, this resolution is a bitter pill to swallow. Jim Smith, whose wife Moira was the only female NYPD officer killed in the attacks, expressed his frustration with the outcome. He shared with the New York Post that the opportunity for the families to see justice served in court has been taken away, saying, “They committed the worst crime in the history of our country, they should receive the highest penalty.”
Daniel D’Allara, who lost his brother John, also an NYPD officer, in the attacks, echoed this sentiment. He voiced his disappointment in the government’s decision, stating that the families had waited patiently for years and that the death penalty was the only fitting punishment for such heinous crimes.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a plea deal has been on the table for these defendants. Last year, the suspects proposed an agreement that included conditions like avoiding solitary confinement and receiving civilian-run medical care. However, President Biden rejected that proposal, which shows that while he didn’t influence the current deal, he has been engaged in the broader conversation about how to handle these cases.