9/11 families call on President Biden to set trial for alleged mastermind behind attack
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- On Monday, 9/11 families and lawmakers joined together to call for the alleged mastermind of the terror attacks to face the death penalty.
The call comes after Khalid Sheik Mohammed and two of his accused co-conspirators agreed to a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table last week.
That deal has since been revoked.
It has been 23 years since America's darkest day, but on Monday, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis joined 9/11 families still waiting for justice at the base of Staten Island's 9/11 memorial.
They are calling on the Biden-Harris administration to pursue the death penalty and immediately set a new trial date in the case against the alleged mastermind and his associates.
Now that the deal is off the table after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin annulled the agreement, Sheikh Mohammed could again face the death penalty.
Families of 9/11 victims, survivors and the FDNY Union were among those outraged over the news that three of the five 9/11 defendants at Guantanamo Bay had even reached a plea agreement with prosecutors of the U.S. government.
"I was completely shocked, it came as a huge surprise, and I'm very grateful, I'm happy about this decision because justice needs to be served and now I believe it will," said Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United. "I've only been able to speak to a handful of family members, and everybody is excited."
Union representatives, advocates and relatives said Monday that Austin made the right move, but they are worried the case will stall and they are calling for more transparency and information that a trial may yield.
"We need to know who inspired them, who funded them, and who provided the critical support to see their murderous vision through," Strada said. "Because truth is our best weapon to ensure that history will not repeat itself."
While the families of victims are holding out for justice, some experts warn it won't come any time soon.
"So the rejection of these plea deals means it goes back to trial process. That process will be long. It will be drawn out and it probably won't see a jury until 2026," retired Colonel Steve Ganyard said.
While it has been almost 23 years since the attack, Mohammad has never seen trial because of how he was treated while in CIA custody. He faced at least 183 rounds of waterboarding, according to his legal team.
While the memorial on Staten Island continues to grow as more people die from 9/11-related illnesses, a trial won't change that -- but many say it will provide some element of justice and closure.
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