A group of New York House Republicans is moving to ensure that the alleged plotters of the 9/11 terror attacks cannot score a deal to avoid the death penalty.
“The Justice for 9/11 Act will ensure that no future plea deal will be offered to these terrorists by requiring a trial and ensuring the death penalty remains on the table,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said late last week. “Anything less is a disservice to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice on that day and in the months and years since.”
Lawler’s district sits just north of New York City, where nearly 23 years ago, two hijacked passenger planes flew into the World Trade Center’s twin towers. It killed more than 2,600 people, and its effects have continued to impact the lives of first responders who developed cancer as a result of their life-saving rescue efforts.
LAWMAKERS, FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS REACT TO PLEA DEAL WITH TERRORISTS: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other 9/11 defendants recently saw a plea agreement revoked. (AP)
Several hundred more people were killed when passenger jets crashed into the Pentagon and an empty field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
The bill’s introduction comes after the Defense Department announced that three alleged plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, who were awaiting trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, entered into pretrial agreements with the U.S. government.
The details of the plea deals for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi were not immediately made public, but reports indicated they would avoid the death penalty.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION BACKTRACKS, REVOKES PLEA DEAL FOR 9/11 TERRORISTS
Rep. Mike Lawler is moving to ensure the 9/11 plotters cannot be eligible for future plea agreements. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The White House said it had no role in the plea deals, which were revoked just two days after they were announced amid a mountain of blowback. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was not consulted before the deals were struck, the Pentagon said.
In addition to keeping the death penalty on the table, Lawler’s bill would also prevent the alleged plotters from being moved from Guantánamo Bay.
The measure is being co-sponsored by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y.
Preventing a plea deal would also ensure the defendants stood trial, something several Sept. 11 family advocates said they were being denied by the deal.
The Pentagon was one of the three locations hit by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
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Brett Eagleson, the president of a grassroots group made up of victims’ families called 9/11 Justice, said he was “deeply troubled” by the plea deals in a statement earlier this month.
“While we acknowledge the decision to avoid the death penalty, our primary concern remains access to these individuals for information. These plea deals should not perpetuate a system of closed-door agreements, where crucial information is hidden without giving the families of the victims the chance to learn the full truth,” Eagleson said at the time.