Pentagon to challenge military court’s ruling on 9/11 plea deals

The Pentagon is planning to challenge a military court ruling that overturned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to invalidate plea deals for accused 9/11 co-conspirators. The court ruled that Austin did not have the authority to withdraw the plea agreements. The defendants had agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges to avoid the death penalty. Austin’s decision was seen as controversial, as he removed the convening authority for military commissions from the case. The defendants argue that Austin’s actions violated the rules. The Pentagon intends to seek a postponement of any hearings on the pleas or pretrial agreements.