In a noteworthy turn of events, a recent bid by the Pentagon to reverse plea agreements involving Guantanamo Bay detainees has been frustrated by a military appeals court, with Khalid Sheikh Mohammad -- the alleged orchestrator of the 9/11 attacks standing to benefit.

A military appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is not legally empowered to nullify plea deals previously approved for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, as Fox News reports, leaving any observers outraged.

The judgment underscores the legal standing of plea agreements developed in negotiation between military prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Nevertheless, the court's official judgment is yet to be disclosed.

Pentagon Revocation Stirs Controversy

An unforeseen development in July saw the Pentagon rescind these plea agreements.

Correspondence from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin formally confirmed the cancellation of three pretrial agreements initially approved.

"Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024," read the letter from Austin.

This reversal was an attempt to address outrage the initial deals spurred among 9/11 victims' families and U.S. politicians alike.

Course of Legal Appeal Remains Open for Pentagon

The Pentagon still has a legal pathway for appeal.

An expedited review can be requested at the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court, although no petition for such a review had been noted as of Tuesday afternoon.

Scheduled for the coming week is a hearing at Guantanamo Bay, where Mohammad along with two other defendants may potentially plead guilty given the reappearance of plea bargains.

Those deals will notably have capital punishment removed from potential sentences.

Political Manipulation Allegations Emerge

The Biden administration has come under fire for allegedly using the Department of Justice to target political adversaries while purportedly soft-pedaling with accused terrorists.

Vice President-elect JD Vance is one such critic.

"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have weaponized the Department of Justice to go after their political opponents, but they’re cutting a sweetheart deal with 9/11 terrorists," Vance said.

Impacts and Implications of the Recent Ruling

The judgment passed by the military court places limits on the powers of the Defense secretary and safeguards military plea bargains from nullification.

Defenders of the ruling say that it sends a clear message that pretrial agreements cannot be arbitrarily dismissed.

This decision marks a significant moment, not just in the protracted saga of Guantanamo Bay detainees, but possibly also in the broader realm of military jurisprudence.