Author Topic: Moussaoui testifies on his 9/11 plans (Read 613 times)

StarOfAfrica2 · « **on:** March 27, 2006, 05:13:33 PM »

Sorry for the wall-o-text. I cant link the story and couldnt find it on the news services.

Quote

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 7) - Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui testified Monday that he and would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid were supposed to hijack a fifth airplane on Sept. 11, 2001, and fly it into the White House.

Moussaoui's testimony on his own behalf stunned the courtroom. His account was in stark contrast to his previous statements in which he said the White House attack was to come later if the United States refused to release an Egyptian sheik imprisoned on separate terrorist convictions.

On Dec. 22, 2001, Reid was subdued by passengers when he attempted to detonate a bomb in his shoe aboard American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami. The plane was diverted to Boston, where it landed safely.

Moussaoui told the court he knew the World Trade Center attack was coming and he lied to investigators when arrested in August 2001 because he wanted it to happen.

"You lied because you wanted to conceal that you were a member of al-Qaida?" prosecutor Rob Spencer asked.

"That's correct," Moussaoui said.

Spencer: "You lied so the plan could go forward?"

Moussaoui: "That's correct."

The exchange could be key to the government's case that the attacks might have been averted if Moussaoui had been more cooperative following his arrest.

Moussaoui told the court he knew the attacks were to take place some time after August 2001 and bought a radio so he could hear them unfold.

Specifically, he said he knew the World Trade Center was going to be attacked, but he asserted he was not part of that plot and didn't know the details.

Nineteen men pulled off the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington in the worst act of terrorism ever on U.S. soil.

"I had knowledge that the Twin Towers would be hit," Moussaoui said. "I didn't know the details of this."

Sally Regenhard, whose firefighter son Christian died at the World Trade Center, said "at least there would have been a chance" to head off the attacks if Moussaoui had told investigators in August 2001 what she heard him admit in court Monday.

"I was convinced that this man was only a heartbeat away from taking the controls of a plane," she said.

Asked by his lawyer why he signed his guilty plea in April as "the 20th hijacker," Moussaoui replied: "Because everybody used to refer to me as the 20th hijacker and it was a bit of fun."

Before Moussaoui took the stand, his lawyers made a last attempt to stop him from testifying. Defense attorney Gerald Zerkin argued that his client would not be a competent witness because he has contempt for the court, only recognizes Islamic law and therefore "the affirmation he undertakes would be meaningless."

Moussaoui at first denied he was to have been a fifth hijack pilot but under cross examination spoke of the plan to attack the White House. He said Reid was the only person he knew for sure would have been on that mission, but others were discussed.

Reid pleaded guilty in October 2002 to trying to blow up Flight 63 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Moussaoui testified that at one point he was excluded from pre-hijacking operations because he had gotten in trouble with his al-Qaida superiors on a 2000 trip to Malaysia. He said it was only after he was called back to Afghanistan and talked with Osama bin Laden that he was approved again for the operation.

"My position was, like you say, under review."

The 19 terrorists on Sept. 11 hijacked and crashed four airliners, killing nearly 3,000 people in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on the planes. The intended target of the plane that crashed into a Pennsylvania field remains unknown.

Moussaoui testified for nearly three hours, ending his time on the stand by declaring his gratitude that he was an al-Qaida member. When Spencer asked him if he was also grateful to have been the fifth pilot, the defendant merely said: "I'm grateful."

Moussaoui's lawyer asked him whether he thought anything in his testimony or court proceedings would affect his fate. He replied: "I believe in destiny. God gives life and death. I just have to speak the truth and God will take care of the rest."

Before Moussaoui took the stand, the court heard testimony that two months before the attacks a CIA deputy chief waited in vain for permission to tell the FBI about a "very high interest" al-Qaida operative who became one of the hijackers.

The official, a senior figure in the CIA's Laden unit, said he sought authorization on July 13, 2001, to send information to the FBI but got no response for 10 days, then asked again.

As it turned out, the information on Khalid al-Mihdhar did not reach the FBI until late August. At the time, CIA officers needed permission from a special unit before passing certain intelligence on to the FBI.

The official was identified only as John. His written testimony was read into the record.

"John's" testimony was part of the defense's case that federal authorities missed multiple opportunities to catch hijackers and perhaps thwart the 9/11 plot.

His testimony included an e-mail sent by FBI supervisor Michael Maltbie discussing Moussaoui but playing down his terrorist connections. Maltbie's e-mail said "there's no indication that (Moussaoui) had plans for any nefarious activity."

He sent that e-mail to the CIA even after receiving a lengthy memo from the FBI agent who arrested Moussaoui and suspected him of being a terrorist with plans to hijack aircraft.

Prosecutors argue that Moussaoui, a French citizen, thwarted a prime opportunity to track down the 9/11 hijackers and possibly unravel the plot when he was arrested and lied.

Had Moussaoui confessed, the FBI could have pursued leads that would have led them to most of the hijackers, government witnesses have testified.

To win the death penalty, prosecutors must first prove that Moussaoui's actions - specifically, his lies - were directly responsible for at least one death on Sept. 11.

If they fail, Moussaoui would get life in prison.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:15:28 PM »

Moussaoui didn't kill anyone the U.S. Gov. is just trying to find someone to blame insted of themselves

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:21:45 PM »

Your point is?

How about this. A man walks into your yard with a gun. You call the police, they arrest him. He admits he was going to walk into your house and kill everyone he could get to.

He didnt kill anyone.

Do you want him punished anyway? Or should we just let him free so he can kill you, THEN we can arrest him?

The govt. ALWAYS wants to blame someone when they screw up. This time they just happened to arrest the right guy.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:23:03 PM »

they should only give him life or 40 years not death

Ripsnort · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:24:57 PM »

Someone is gonna say it....

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:28:09 PM »

Ah I see. You are only disputing the sentencing question. Fair enough.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:30:25 PM »

how old is Moussaoui he looks to be in his 30's if they gave him 40 years he would be in his 70's or 80's when he got out so that would be a fair sentence

z0rch · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:31:38 PM »

Sometimes the spinmeisters confuse the issue by calling revolutionaries terrorists.
Sometimes they call insurgents terrorists, just because they're on the other side.

This isn't one of those cases.

This guy admits to being part of a plan to launch a sneak attack on civilian targets. If that's not a terrorist, nothing is.

Give him life in prison. Federal Supermax. He'll spend the next 40 years wishing he was dead.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:34:59 PM »

well he actually didn't kill any 1 and the U.S. Gov. knew about the terror attacks but they did nothing so in a way the U.S. Gov. are the real criminals

Gunslinger · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:43:04 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by RAIDER14
well he actually didn't kill any 1 and the U.S. Gov. knew about the terror attacks but they did nothing so in a way the U.S. Gov. are the real criminals

no but is actions led to the deaths of almost 3000 people (at least that's the govt's case against him)

If I'm hiding a mass murderer in my closet of my home and police come by and say "have you seen this man" and I say "no" and he goes out and guns down school kids at random aren't I complicit in his crimes?

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 27, 2006, 05:44:28 PM »

remember the guy that knew about the OKC bombing before it happend did he get put to death he never told any 1 about the attack either

Tarmac · « **Reply #11 on:** March 27, 2006, 06:53:57 PM »

He and Reid were supposed to hijack a 5th plane and hit the White House? By themselves? I call BS, this guy is just trying to make this into a media circus. He's either succeeding, or he's just really freaking dim.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2006, 08:00:50 PM »

Wow.

Some of you liberals don't quite understand the simplicity, economy, and power of a .45 to the head. Should have been done a while ago to this ****.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2006, 10:28:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
no but is actions led to the deaths of almost 3000 people (at least that's the govt's case against him)

If I'm hiding a mass murderer in my closet of my home and police come by and say "have you seen this man" and I say "no" and he goes out and guns down school kids at random aren't I complicit in his crimes?

but he is not the 1 that killed the people so why should he get the death penalty:huh

FiLtH · « **Reply #14 on:** March 27, 2006, 10:32:33 PM »

Because it will be great pay per view.