Families of victims from the September 11 attacks are expressing their outrage following the Defense Department’s announcement on Wednesday about plea agreements with three alleged terrorists linked to the attacks, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is accused of orchestrating the tragedy.
President of 9/11 Justice, Brett Eagleson, who lost his father in the attacks 23 years ago, reacted to this development during “Fox & Friends First.” He called on government officials to investigate Saudi Arabia’s role in facilitating the attacks.
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“It’s really distressing and unbelievable,” Eagleson shared with Todd Piro on Thursday. “Just yesterday, I was with over 500 family members in the Southern District of Federal Court in Manhattan, after waiting 23 years for a trial, and we learned about the extent of Saudi Arabia’s involvement. We finally accessed documents that the FBI and DOJ have shared with us.”
“They cannot just put… these individuals away without a trial,” Eagleson emphasized. “America is built on the principles of justice. We need a lawsuit, a day in court, and a hearing. These individuals must be heard.”
The Department of Defense announced that prosecutors have finalized plea agreements with three key figures from the Sept. 11 terror attacks who have been facing trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Susan Escallier, the Convening Authority for Military Commissions, has entered into pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, according to the DOD.
The specific terms of the plea deals have not been disclosed, but relatives of the victims were informed by the Office of Military Commissions (OMC) that the suspects will avoid the death penalty, as reported by the New York Post.
However, Eagleson stressed the importance of uncovering how Saudi Arabia supported the terrorists for the sake of the 9/11 victims’ families.
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“We need to uncover the actions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Eagleson insisted. “Evidence indicates that Saudi Arabia played a critical role. We now know that 30 individuals assisted Saudi government officials in facilitating and supporting the 9/11 hijackers. These individuals hold vital information about what actually transpired on 9/11.”
“It wasn’t simply that 19 individuals with limited English skills, no familiarity with Western culture, and no funds managed to orchestrate the most catastrophic and significant attack in this country’s history without external assistance,” he pointed out.
“What has come to light is that they received considerable assistance. The government of Saudi Arabia helped them.”
The defendants are alleged to have provided various forms of support, including training and financial aid, to the 19 terrorists who hijacked commercial aircraft and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001.
UNDATED: (FILE PHOTO) Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a suspected al Qaeda terrorist, is shown in this photo released by the FBI on October 10, 2001 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy of FBI/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The attacks resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, marking the worst terror attack on U.S. soil in history. Victims’ families expressed their anger at the announcement of the plea deal.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in Guantánamo Bay on August 5.
“Whether they live or die is not my concern,” Eagleson stated. “That’s for God to decide. Whether they wish to languish in prison… or if they aspire to be martyrs, perhaps spending their lives in a cell is their fate, but I don’t hold a position on life or death that is beyond my role.”
“I want to understand what these individuals know regarding the involvement of the Saudi government in my father’s death,” he concluded.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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