9/11 accused conspirators lose plea to stop death sentence

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11 and three alleged co-conspirators are back where they started. For years they have been fighting to get a legal deal to stop them facing the death sentence. They actually agreed to plead guilty in return for getting a life sentence instead of facing capital punishment. The bargain was approved by a senior figure in the Pentagon but it was abruptly overturned by the then defence secretary, Lloyd Austin. Then his decision was overturned and now the Appeals Court has reinstated the death sentence. All accused have been in Guantanamo Bay detention centre for so long they have probably forgotten how long it has been. It's about 20 years. They live in a twilight world in Guantanamo under conditions of maximum security. They will never be released and now once again they face the death penalty if they ever come to trial. For reasons that are eminently understandable, no one in America cares a jot about them, but it is wholly right that they should be brought to trial and dealt with in a proper way according to the rules of US justice.