Pentagon Appeals Judge's Plea Deal Ruling

The U.S. government plans to appeal a military judge's ruling affirming the validity of plea deals for alleged 9/11 conspirators Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. This ruling, made by Col. Matthew McCall, allows the defendants to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty, a decision that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had attempted to revoke in August. Austin's move to annul the deals faced backlash from 9/11 victim families and lawmakers advocating for capital punishment. The Pentagon's appeal highlights ongoing frustrations with the military commission system, which has struggled to deliver justice in these high-profile cases for over a decade. Meanwhile, the ACLU praised the judge's ruling, while the defendants' guilty pleas could potentially bring closure to a lengthy legal battle. The Pentagon also intends to pause any hearings regarding the pleas as the legal processes unfold.