The Hindu : International : 9/11 prisoner to admit terror role

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

International

International

9/11 prisoner to admit terror role

Zacarias Moussaoui

WASHINGTON: Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the U.S. for the September 11 2001 terror attacks, was set to appear in court on Thursday to register a guilty plea. In a notice issued by the U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia, court officials said the hearing was convened with the express purpose of entering a guilty plea from Mr. Moussaoui, and so move forward on a case that has become an embarrassment to the Bush administration. More than three years after the attacks, the administration has failed to bring any captured Al-Qaeda figures to trial.

In Mr. Moussaoui's case, delays, legal wrangling and courtroom outbursts turned the test case into a bizarre spectacle — punctuated by the suspect's courtroom outbursts and volatile behaviour.

According to some reports, Mr. Moussaoui's decision arose from his conviction that would enable him to move immediately towards an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court. However, his court-appointed lawyers argue he is unfit to stand trial, and objected to his decision. But, two years after stripping Mr. Moussaoui of the right to conduct his own defence, Ms. Brinkema evidently was persuaded that he was mentally competent.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

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9/11 prisoner to admit terror role