Moussaoui Says He Can't Get Fair Trial
guardian: Confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui returned to the witness stand Thursday, arguing that he could not get a fair trial so close to the Pentagon and criticizing the United States' support for Israel.
Moussaoui testified that he believes his court-appointed lawyers are working against him and said that if he'd had control over his defense, he would have argued that he should escape the death penalty and be available for a prisoner swap if American troops are captured overseas.
Moussaoui, as defiant on the witness stand as he has been at the defendant's table throughout the trial, testified against the advice of his court-appointed lawyers and attacked them before the jury that has to decide whether to sentence him to death or to spend life in prison.
Offering a lengthy explanation of why he hates Americans, Moussaoui criticized the United States' support for Israel. He said Muslims have been at war with Christians and Jews for centuries. Israel, he said, is "just a missing star in the American flag.''
Moussaoui told jurors that Islam requires Muslims to be the world's superpower as he flipped through a copy of the Koran searching for verses to support his assertions. One he cited requires non-Muslim nations to pay a tribute to Muslim countries.
"We have to be the superpower. You have to be subdued. We have to be above you,'' Moussaoui said. "Because Americans, you are the superpower, you want to eradicate us.''
At one point, defense lawyer Gerald Zerkin asked Moussaoui if he thought he was helping his case when he testified earlier that he planned to pilot a plane into the White House on Sept. 11.
"I was putting my trust in God, so from an Islamic point of view, yes,'' Moussaoui responded, acknowledging that non-Muslims might view his testimony as harmful to his case. Read more
db: Israel 'the missing star from the American flag' - he got that right. He may also have a point when he questions the fairness of his trial. But no doubt this lunatic will be executed. If I had been locked in a room and subjected to a week or two of videos/sound recordings/testimonies on the horror of 9/11 I would probably vote for his death myself. Hell, someone needs to die - that's the American way - we all know about the healing power of capital punishment [?]. Let's hope it makes them feel better when he does.
Moussaoui testified that he believes his court-appointed lawyers are working against him and said that if he'd had control over his defense, he would have argued that he should escape the death penalty and be available for a prisoner swap if American troops are captured overseas.
Moussaoui, as defiant on the witness stand as he has been at the defendant's table throughout the trial, testified against the advice of his court-appointed lawyers and attacked them before the jury that has to decide whether to sentence him to death or to spend life in prison.
Offering a lengthy explanation of why he hates Americans, Moussaoui criticized the United States' support for Israel. He said Muslims have been at war with Christians and Jews for centuries. Israel, he said, is "just a missing star in the American flag.''
Moussaoui told jurors that Islam requires Muslims to be the world's superpower as he flipped through a copy of the Koran searching for verses to support his assertions. One he cited requires non-Muslim nations to pay a tribute to Muslim countries.
"We have to be the superpower. You have to be subdued. We have to be above you,'' Moussaoui said. "Because Americans, you are the superpower, you want to eradicate us.''
At one point, defense lawyer Gerald Zerkin asked Moussaoui if he thought he was helping his case when he testified earlier that he planned to pilot a plane into the White House on Sept. 11.
"I was putting my trust in God, so from an Islamic point of view, yes,'' Moussaoui responded, acknowledging that non-Muslims might view his testimony as harmful to his case. Read more
db: Israel 'the missing star from the American flag' - he got that right. He may also have a point when he questions the fairness of his trial. But no doubt this lunatic will be executed. If I had been locked in a room and subjected to a week or two of videos/sound recordings/testimonies on the horror of 9/11 I would probably vote for his death myself. Hell, someone needs to die - that's the American way - we all know about the healing power of capital punishment [?]. Let's hope it makes them feel better when he does.
posted by exoplanet at 11:23 AM
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