Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Economy

John Kirby dodges grilling over plea agreement for 9/11 terrorists: ‘Didn’t hear an answer’

White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby on Sunday dodged answering questions regarding the abrupt plea deal reversal provided to a trio of 9/11 terrorists last week. 

‘Is the president willing to let these terrorists escape the harshest penalty in the system of justice and let that be part of his legacy?’ Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asked Kirby during an interview on ‘Fox News Sunday.’

‘Again, this was a decision made by a convening authority in the military chain of command, an independent convening authority,’ Kirby responded. 

‘He didn’t weigh in at all?’ Heinrich pressed. 

‘The secretary of defense has the authority to change the delegation of that – of that authority to the convening authority,’ Kirby continued. ‘I know that sounds kind of complicated, but he has the authority to do that. He did this on his own.’

‘But did the president weigh in?’ Heinrich asked again. 

‘This was a decision made by the secretary of defense,’ Kirby said, sparking Heinrich to say that she ‘didn’t hear an answer.’

The Department of Defense announced last week the Convening Authority for Military Commissions entered into pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The agreement included taking the death penalty off of the table for the three 9/11 plotters. 

As outrage mounted over the agreement, the White House said Biden did not play a role in the deal. 

‘The White House learned yesterday that the Convening Authority for Military Commissions entered into pretrial agreements, negotiated by military prosecutors, with KSM and other 9/11 defendants,’ a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News Digital. ‘The President and the White House played no role in this process. The President has directed his team to consult as appropriate with officials and lawyers at the Department of Defense on this matter.’ 

Biden has also rejected a proposal last year that would have spared the three suspects from the death penalty.

After the news broke, the Defense Department abruptly backtracked on the agreement on Friday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has now taken the lead on the case. 

‘Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024,’ the letter from the secretary reads. 

No explanation was offered as to why the matter was not settled before the deals were concluded and publicly announced. 

Heinrich pressed Kirby whether Biden asked Austin to rescind the deals to the trio of terrorists, to which the White House spokesman responded that Austin made an ‘independent decision.’ 

‘This was a decision made by the secretary of defense. It was an independent decision by him, certainly within his authorities, as in the chain of command at the Defense Department,’ Kirby responded. 

On Sunday, Kirby also addressed ongoing efforts to broker a cease-fire in Israel as war continues raging since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack that killed more than 1,200 and led to the kidnapping of hundreds more.

‘Number one, we still believe a cease-fire deal is the best way to bring this war to an end. It’s also, we believe, very possible. We still believe the gaps are narrow enough to close,’ Kirby said. 

‘The other thing that we’ve been doing since the 7th of October is making sure that not only Israel has what it needs to defend itself, but that this war doesn’t escalate to become something broader, a regional war, a regional conflict. And that’s what you’re seeing us do.’

Concern has grown, however, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want a cease-fire. On CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer said he could not weigh in on Biden’s private discussions with Netanyahu about a cease-fire deal, while noting that the two world leaders have a candid and long-established relationship. 

‘I won’t speak to the private conversations that take place between the president and the prime minister. What I will say is these are two people who have a four-decade-plus relationship. One of the extraordinary assets in the US-Israel relationship is this personal relationship between these two leaders in which they can speak to each other directly and candidly. That’s been the case since President Biden came to office, it’s certainly been the case since Oct. 7,’ Finer said when asked about Netanyahu potentially avoiding a cease-fire deal. 

‘The United States has been extremely clear, both publicly and privately, about how urgent we think it is that the cease-fire and hostage deal be established. Nothing that’s taken place over the last week or two has changed that sense of urgency, and if anything, part of why we believe this needs to happen as quickly as possible is because in the Middle East, at a time in which there are hostilities taking place, outside factors can infect and disrupt these talks. And so we don’t want to allow that to happen.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this article. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News And Articles.






    Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

    You May Also Like

    Investing

    Overview Rua Gold (CSE:RUA,OTC:NZAUF,WKN:A4010V,OTCQB:NZAUF) is a gold exploration company focused on two prolific, historic gold-producing regions in New Zealand: Hauraki Goldfield and Reefton Goldfield....

    Editor's Pick

    Sister Stephanie Schmidt had a hunch about what her fellow nuns would discuss over dinner at their Erie, Pennsylvania, monastery on Wednesday night. The...

    Stock

    Warner Bros. Discovery said Thursday its streaming platform Max added 7.2 million global subscribers in the third quarter. It marked the biggest quarterly growth for...

    Economy

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the death of Fuad Shukr, the Hezbollah commander who was behind a drone strike that killed 12 children...

    Disclaimer: wisetradeinvesting.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2024 wisetradeinvesting.com