Plea deals revived for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military judge has ruled that plea agreements struck by alleged Sept. 11, 2001) mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants are valid. A government official says the decision voided an order by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to throw out the deals. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision by Air Force Col. Matthew McCall hasn’t yet been posted publicly or officially announced. The plea agreements would spare Mohammed and the others the risk of the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas. They spurred immediate political blowback by Republican lawmakers and others when announced in late July. The Pentagon says it’s reviewing the judge’s decision.