Family cheers restoration of death penalty

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has nullified recent plea deals for the accused masterminds of the September 11 attacks, reinstating the death penalty as a prosecutorial option. This decision has garnered nearly unanimous support from family members of victims, particularly from Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, who stated that the accused deserve no mercy. However, the American Civil Liberties Union has announced plans to challenge the reversal in court, labeling it a 'rash act' that violates the law. The reversal follows a wave of criticism from victims' families and Republican lawmakers, leading to investigations into the plea deals that initially removed the death penalty. Austin's action came just days after the military commission at Guantanamo Bay had approved the controversial plea agreements. This development underscores the ongoing struggle for justice concerning the 2,976 lives lost on September 11, 2001.