WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday withdrew the controversial plea deal for the three men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks.

“Today, Secretary Austin signed a memo reserving for himself the specific authority to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused in the 9/11 military commission cases,” the Defense Department said in a press release. “In addition, as the superior convening authority, the Secretary has also withdrawn from the pre-trial agreements that were…