Prosecutors Seek to Overturn Judge's Decision on Sept. 11 Case

Legal representatives for the government plan to challenge a court ruling that nullified the defense secretary's cancellation of a plea agreement with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, thought to be the architect behind the September 11 attacks.

Dateline: Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Government's Appeal and Legal Maneuvers

In a move to prevent Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his co-defendants from entering guilty pleas, military court prosecutors are cautioning the presiding judge to delay these pleas until an appellate court resolves the dispute over the legitimacy of their plea deals.

Friday evening, prosecutors issued formal notifications to both the court and families of the attack's nearly 3,000 victims, indicating their intent to appeal. This follows the judge's recent approval of the plea proceedings.

Seeking Suspension: A High-Stakes Decision

Lead prosecutor Clayton G. Trivett Jr. plans to request at a rare Sunday court session that Judge Col. Matthew N. McCall halts preparations for upcoming guilty plea hearings. Should the judge deny this request, Trivett has stated he will petition the Pentagon's military commissions review panel to pause the proceedings to prepare for a comprehensive appeal.

Impact on Sept. 11 Victims' Families

This decision by the government injects further uncertainty for families devastated by the attacks as they await a resolution on whether Khalid Shaikh Mohammed might plead guilty in return for a life imprisonment sentence, a decision that appears unlikely to be resolved promptly during the Biden administration.

Among those affected is Maureen Basnicki from Canada, who lost her husband in the World Trade Center tragedy. Many, like her, hoped to witness the plea proceedings but are confronted with yet another delay.