Prominent military veterans voiced strong condemnation on Thursday of the recent plea deal made by the Biden-Harris administration, which has spared the accused mastermind behind the September 11 terror attacks and two other detainees held at Guantánamo Bay from facing the death penalty. The agreement, which was brokered without the knowledge or involvement of the White House, has left many veterans feeling a deep sense of betrayal, particularly in light of the administration’s mishandling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
For many who served overseas in response to the September 11 attacks, this plea deal is a bitter pill to swallow, especially considering that it comes under the same presidential administration responsible for the poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of last year. Kate Monroe, CEO of VetComm and a former Marine, expressed her disappointment with the decision, calling it “sickening” and stating that it feels like a slap in the face to the thousands of disabled veterans who have suffered physically and mentally due to their involvement in the War on Terror.
The accused terrorists, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, agreed on Wednesday to plead guilty to a series of charges against them in exchange for the removal of the death penalty as part of their sentence. While the White House has distanced itself from this decision, claiming that President Biden played no role in the process, many military veterans remain deeply disheartened by what they perceive as a betrayal of the sacrifices made by those who served during the War on Terror.
Scott Mann, a former Green Beret and advocate for veterans suffering from PTSD, expressed his outrage at this plea deal, calling it “pure kerosene added to the fire of an already raging moral injury.” Mann founded Task Force Pineapple, an organization that brought together military veterans who sought to help Afghan allies escape Kabul after its fall to the Taliban. He criticized the US government for negotiating this plea deal with terrorists and questioned whether it was done solely to instigate further conflict.
Rob O’Neill, a former Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden, also voiced his strong disapproval of the plea deal, arguing that Mohammed, Bin Attash, and al-Hawsawi should have been executed years ago. He criticized both their defense attorneys and the prosecutors involved in the case for their handling of the situation.
The trio has been held at Guantánamo Bay since 2003, accused of providing financial support, training, and other assistance to the 19 terrorists who hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The use of torture against these individuals by the CIA during their detainment has complicated their case and led to numerous disputes between defense attorneys and prosecutors over how this information can be used in court. Despite this controversy, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that President Biden still intends to close the Guantánamo Bay prison facility.
This plea deal has left many veterans feeling a profound sense of betrayal, as they believe that the sacrifices made by those who served during the War on Terror are being dishonored. As these accused terrorists continue to face justice, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the broader conversation surrounding the War on Terror and its lasting effects on veterans and their families.
