Zacarias Moussaoui is a French citizen born the May 31st 1968 with St Jean de Luz parents Morocco ains. May 3rd, 2006, at the end two months of lawsuit and seven days of deliberation, he was recognized guilty by the jury of the federal court of Alexandria in Virginia of 6 counts of indictment of plot in connection with the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 to New York and was condemned to the prison with perpetuity, without possibility of handing-over of sorrow.

Biography

Childhood

His/her mother, Baited el Wafi, of Moroccan origin, was married of force to a compatriot, older who shows to being an alcoholic husband and violent one. Six children are born from this couple: two girls, Nadia and Djamila, born with Morocco, and two boys Abd-Samad and Zacarias, born in France. His/her the first two children die, one at the 7 months age and the second at two days.

In 1970, the mother is seen forced to flee and will entrust the guard of his/her four children to the Public assistance. Zacarias is then balloté of orphanages out of hearths. Victim of violence marital, her mother divorces in 1974 and, after having obtained an use of civil servant, recovers the guard of her children. The family settles then with Narbonne; the father will not give any more a news to his family.

Zacarias, like much of children resulting from immigration, undergoes racism and saw its condition badly, more especially as he inherited his father a dark skin, which is worth the nickname of “négro to him”. It is scrambled with his mother, then with his/her brother, and one of his/her sisters knows psychiatric disorders. However, Zacarias seems to overcome its social handicaps, makes a success of a schooling without known stories, and while being supervisor with the Victor-Hugo college of Narbonne, obtains a professional Baccalauréat of maintenance of the automated mechanical systems with Montpellier in 1988 then a BTS Technico-Commercial with the Arago college of Perpignan in 1990. The Zacarias young person is then described by his professors as a pupil extraverti, of good nature and surrounded by friends. Parallel to its studies, it acquires a reputation of fêtard inveterate.

The following year, it makes a success of a DEUG of economic and social administration at the Paul-Valéry university of Montpellier (Herault), then obtains in 1995, a mastère in management of South Bank University of London.

Rupture

In search of its roots, reference mark and ideals, he devotes himself to the Islamic religion, and attends a mosque of Montpellier. The year 1991 is undoubtedly that of the rupture.

In 1992, Zacarias Moussaoui is registered at the university of Perpignan in second year of LEA (Foreign languages applied), but it disappears the day from the re-entry. In fact, he, definitively chose at that time the radical Islam, cuts the bridges and settles in London, one of the principal bases of Islamism in Europe. According to the investigators, influenced by the sermons of the recruiters of the Djihad, whose Abou Hamza and Abou Qoutada, it is quickly integrated in the islamist networks, which want to send it in Afghanistan where it accomplishes its first voyage as of 1995.

In 1997, it makes many displacements in France, Great Britain and with the Morocco, where it is stopped and expelled towards Paris. It accomplishes also discrete voyages to the the Middle East, and it would even have been announced in Chetchnia, by the French intelligence services, which refutes its lawyers.

In 1998 and 1999, one finds it in Afghanistan in the camps of Al-Qaida, where it meets Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged brain of the Attentats of September 11th, 2001 and perhaps also more the high ranking officials of Al-Qaida. In 2000, it is in Malaysia to initiate itself with the piloting of airliners, however islamist Malaysian of the Jemaah Islamiyah quickly has of it enough him because of its escapades and as of the autumn 2000, it is isolated of the team of terrorists which prepares the destruction of the Twin Towers with New York.

However, its French passport represents for the terrorists a serious asset which him pemet to pass the borders with a minimum of control. It arrives at Chicago, in February 2001, with a sum of 35.000 US dollars, to settle with Oklahoma City, in the area of which it will follow courses of piloting until in May 2001.

Lessons of piloting and arrest

Arrived at the the United States the February 23rd 2001, Zacarias Moussaoui will take without success, of the February 26th to the May 29th 2001, of the courses of piloting in a school of Norman in the Oklahoma. Its initial finances spent, it finds a new formation in the Minnesota and for this reason it obtains a extension of 14  000 dollars that Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh sends to him, at the beginning of August since Hamburg and Düsseldorf. As soon as it boxed the money, Zacarias buys two knives with Oklahoma City.

Starting from the August 13rd, 2001, it is registered with the Pan International Am Flight Academy with Eagan, close to Mineapolis, to follow courses on a Flight simulator of Boeing 747 but it quickly wakes up suspicions in its instructors because it does not have a license of pilot and announces that it wants to only learn how to make steal an apparatus without being interested neither in the landings, nor on takeoffs. Moreover, it pays its school fees in cash, that is to say 6  300 dollars. Thus, as of the August 16th, 2001, it is challenged in possession of false paper and is imprisoned for “Infraction with the Législation on the Immigration”.

Lawsuit

Preparation of the lawsuit

The December 11th 2001, three months after the attacks of September 11th, Zacarias Moussaoui, although in prison at the time of the facts, is shown “to have taken an active part” by its silence in the terrorist plot which led to the attacks. He is accused of six counts of indictment:

1. Conspiracy for the achievement of terrorist acts ( Conspiracy to Commit Acts off Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries ).
2. Conspiracy for the achievement of hijacking ( Conspiracy to Commit Aircraft Piracy ).
3. Conspiracy for the achievement of destruction of planes ( Conspiracy to Destroy Aircraft ).
4. Conspiracy for the achievement of use of weapons of massive destruction ( Conspiracy to Use Weapons off Farmhouse Destruction ).
5. Conspiracy for the achievement of murder of employees of the American administration ( Conspiracy to Murder United States Employed ).
6. Conspiracy for the achievement of destruction of assets ( Conspiracy to Destroy Property ).

The counts of indictment 1,2,3 and 4 are liable to the capital punishment and the two last of the life imprisonment.

The January 2nd, 2002, Zacarias refuses to plead in front of the federal court of Alexandria in Virginia. The June 13rd, 2002, Brinkema judge authorizes Moussaoui with being its own lawyer and the July 18th, 2002, it decides to plead guilty and recognizes being member of Al-Qaida, but the July 25th, 2002, it changes its position and decides to plead not culprit “ in the name of Allah to save and defend my life as a Moslem”.

Persons in charge of Al-Qaida, held by the American authorities, whose Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Yasser Al-Jaziri and Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh, acknowledges to have put at the Moussaoui variation, because he regarded it as too eccentric and had put it in concerning a future operation in Europe or with the the Middle East. Khalid Sheik Mohammed declares that Moussaoui was to belong to one “second wave” of attacks, whereas Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh explains why it found it too much “unstable” and that it would have cancelled the operation of September 11th if it had had wind of his arrest. In fact, according to its defense, Moussaoui was not directly implied in the preparation of the attacks and had neither to plead guilty, nor to admit to be informed of the project of the Attentats of September 11th, 2001, consisting in throwing civil aircrafts on civil buildings on the American ground. Moreover, the deputy of Pennsylvania, Curt Weldon, convened with the court, reveals a secret operation of the Pentagon, named “ Able danger ” ( danger patented ) at the time which four of the nineteen terrorists would have been identified, one year and half before September 11th. This testimony will reinforce defense by showing that the US government knew some more than Zacarias and than it had not done anything to prevent the attacks.

The lawsuit put forward a tension between the Judiciaire and the National security. Moussaoui made many requests to have access to confidential classified documents and the right to call members captive of Al-Qaida (held in particular in the military base of Guantanamo to Cuba) like witnesses, in particular Binalshibh. All these requests are presented by the prosecutors like potential threats to the national security, which are opposed the February 23rd 2003, to authorize the testimony of the members of Al-Qaida. Brinkema judge defers the lawsuit while waiting for a definite decision on this question, and the October 2nd 2003, in front of the reiterated refusal of the government, it prohibits the prosecutors from requiring the Capital punishment. The position of the government is nevertheless reinforced, the April 23rd 2004, when a court gives him reason in its position to refuse the testimony of three supposed terrorist held on line with the absolute secrecy by the American authorities, confirmed decision the September 13rd 2004 by a Court of Appeal. The lawyers of Moussaoui seize the December 11th 2004 the Supreme court which it March 21st 2005 refuses the examination of their request.

The April 22nd 2005, with the general surprise, Zacarias Moussaoui changes its position and pleads guilty for all the criminal charges of which he is accused. He however denies to have had for intention to make the massacre of September 11th, 2001, indicating that he prepared on his side an attack separated against the White House. The fact of pleading guilty makes it again accessory to dead to 3.000 people and thus liable to the Capital punishment.

The January 24th 2006, its lawyers announce their intention to show that Zacarias is Schizophrène what would avoid the capital punishment to him. They estimate that its inconsistencies, with the edge of the madness, find can be their sources in his childhood and its destiny in crumbs. Moreover, Brinkema judge, itself, prone of the insults and incoherent diatribes of Zacarias, had already questioned the mental health of Zacarias but had however to let it plead guilty.

The January 25th 2006, Brinkema judge orders with the government that all the documents which it lays out, classified Secret defense and concerning the terrorist threat before September 11th, are transmitted to the defense of Zacarias Moussaoui. January 31st, 2006, Baited el-Wafi, his/her mother estimates at the time of a press conference, data with Montpellier that his/her son is a “scapegoat”.

Course of the lawsuit

The lawsuit of Zacarias Moussaoui began Monday February 6th 2006 in front of the federal court from Alexandria chaired by the judge Leonie Brinkema. All photographs and drawings were prohibited. The defendant was evacuated 2 minutes hardly after the beginning of the audiences, after having disputed the facts in front of the Cour. He will be expelled with four recoveries during the 1st day of audience.

March 27th, 2006, Moussaoui testifies and affirms that him and Richard Reid had planned a crash landing of plane on the White House for on September 11th, 2001. No direct link between Moussaoui and Reid was shown, and this testimony is in contradiction with another of its testimonys in which he affirmed that its attack was to proceed after September 11th. When he to him is asked for the reason of his lie, he retorts: “We are authorized to lie for the jihad. We use techniques to overcome our enemy”.

April 6th, 2006, Moussaoui, after the presentation of the images of victims of the September 11th jumping into space, parodies celebrates it song of Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA” in “Burn in the USA”.

The prosecutors push for the capital punishment, and defense made appear several experts to testify on the mental health to Moussaoui. The moving party (the government of the United States of America) also.

Verdict

May 3rd, 2006, the jury of the federal court of Alexandria returns his verdict and pronounces “ Us, sworn, did not estimate unanimously that a sentence of dead was to be imposed ”

May 4th, 2006, the judge Leonie Brinkema condemns officially Zacarias Moussaoui to the life imprisonment without possibility of early release. It would seem, according to the declarations of some sworn, which Zacarias Moussaoui had the safe life only with only one vote out of the twelve. The capital punishment being marked only unanimously.

At the conclusion of this verdict, Moussaoui then declared “ That God saves Usama Bin Laden. You will never catch it! ” and “ That God curses America. That God saves Usama Bin Laden. You will never catch it! ”

The judge then finally declared, after logorrhée of condemned, that “ people who are in this room will be free presently of going where they want, to breathe the fresh air and to taste the sun ”. Zacarias Moussaoui will see it never again and will leave in a prison of high security. Moussaoui left the courtroom by claiming that the next president of the United States gracierait it: In Your Dreams! - In your dreams! - the wife of a victim exclaimed since the benches of the audience of the civil parts.

The Attorney General did not appeal and, although the US government required the capital punishment, president G.W. Bush took note of the decision without commenting on the contents of it.

After the lawsuit

Monday May 8th 2006, Zacarias Moussaoui sends to the judge Leonie Brinkema a motion in which it reconsiders his consents of culpability. He affirms that he lied during the lawsuit and forever met Mohammed Atta which directed some of the kamikazes of the September 11th, 2001 . He also reconsiders his declarations according to which he was with the current of the preparation of these attacks and was to control one of the planes. These declarations were, according to him, an invention supplements . He specifies that, if he could see some hijackers to Kandahar, he did not know them and did not know anything of their intention. He also states to have been extremely surprised to have had the life saves and asks a new lawsuit because he now sees that it is possible to have a lawsuit right, even with sworn American . The judge Leonie Brinkema however answered that the American federal law did not allow one not condemned to reconsider its decision to once plead guilty the marked sentence. The lawyers of Moussaoui were with the current of this impossibility but all the same transmitted this request because of the problematic relations with their customer.

Zacarias Moussaoui purges, since May 13rd, 2006 its sorrow under number 51427-054 in the prison ADX of Florence in the Colorado. It will never leave there, except if an extraordinary event and very improbable intervenes (transfer in a French prison, presidential pardon…). It will not be in contact with any other prisoner. It is locked up 23:00 on 24, and its only daily exit is done in a part where there remains alone but can raise cast iron. It has a small TV black and white of 13 inches of diagonal which diffuses only programs of education. It does not have, to date, right to any visit.

A French lawyer, at the request of his mother, will try to make him purge the remainder of his sorrow in France. The assumption, even if it is possible, appears difficult.

At the end of May 2006, a message asserted by Usama Bin Laden clears it of the attacks of September 11th.

Deliver by his/her Aïcha mother

• My son lost - of Baited El-Wafi, Matthias Favron, Sophie Quaranta - ED. Plon (October 19th, 2006), 244 pages, ISBN-10: 2259205429, ISBN-13: 978-2259205429

References and notes

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