View source for Zacarias Moussaoui

{{Short description|French Al-Qaeda member imprisoned in the US (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{overly detailed|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name              = Zacarias Moussaoui
| native_name       = {{lang|ar|زكريا موسوي}}
| image             = Zacarias Moussaoui.jpg
| caption           = Mugshot of Moussaoui
| birth_name        = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1968|05|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = [[Saint-Jean-de-Luz]], [[France]]
| death_date        = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place       = 
| death_cause       = 
| other_names       = Abu Khaled al-Sahrawi
| conviction_penalty = 6 consecutive [[life sentences]] without the possibility of [[parole]]
| conviction_status = 
| allegiance        = [[Al-Qaeda]]
| motive            = [[Islamic extremism]]
| conviction        = {{bulleted list |[[Conspiracy]] to Commit Acts of Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries}} {{bulleted list |Conspiracy to Commit [[Aircraft hijacking|Aircraft Piracy]]}}{{bulleted list |Conspiracy to Destroy Aircraft}}{{bulleted list |Conspiracy to Use [[Weapons of Mass Destruction]]}}{{bulleted list |Conspiracy to Murder United States Employees}}{{bulleted list |Conspiracy to Destroy Property}}
| trial             = Trials related to the September 11 attacks
| trial_start       = {{start date|2006|03|06}}
| trial_end         = {{end date|2006|05|03}}
| capture_status    = In custody
| country           = [[United States]]
| apprehended       = {{end date|2001|08|16}}
| imprisoned        = [[ADX Florence]]<ref name="BOP"/>
| footnotes         = [https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/indictment-zacarias-moussaoui Charging Indictment] can be accessed here. Moussaoui filed an [https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/united-states-v-zacarias-moussaoui-101cr00455 appeal] on May 12, 2006 which was denied in 2010.<ref>{{cite court|litigants= U.S. v. Moussaoui|vol= 591|reporter= F.3d|opinion= 263|court= United States Court of Appeals (4th Circuit)|date= 04 January 2010|url= https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/u-s-v-moussaoui-889961804}}</ref>
}}

'''Zacarias Moussaoui''' ({{langx|ar|زكريا موسوي}}, ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|Zakariyyā Mūsawī}}''; born 30 May 1968) is a French member of [[al-Qaeda]] who pleaded guilty in a [[U.S. federal court]] to conspiring to kill citizens of the [[United States]] as part of the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]]. He is serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole at the [[ADX Florence|Federal ADX]] [[Supermax prison]] in [[Florence, Colorado]]. Moussaoui is the only person ever convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Barakat|title=Moussaoui trial revisited on the eve of Sept. 11 anniversary |url=https://apnews.com/article/trials-virginia-zacarias-moussaoui-74b69d513feba71b150f3c76faf1aa29 |work=AP |date=2021-09-09|access-date=2021-10-26}}</ref>

==Overview==
On 16 August 2001, Moussaoui was arrested in Minnesota by the FBI and charged with an immigration violation. He aroused suspicion while taking flight training courses in [[Eagan, Minnesota]].

On 11 December 2001, Moussaoui was indicted by a federal grand jury in [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia]] on six felony charges: conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder United States employees, and conspiracy to destroy property.

Moussaoui was alleged by federal prosecutors to have been a replacement for the "first" [[20th hijacker]], possibly [[Ramzi bin al-Shibh]]. Bin al-Shibh and [[Zakariyah Essabar]] were denied [[visa (document)|visas]]. However, prosecutors in Moussaoui's drawn-out trial in the US had difficulty directly connecting him to the 19 participants.

Moussaoui's trial was seen in some circles as a barometer of the ability and willingness of the United States to give a fair hearing to terrorism suspects. Others objected to the degree to which the court and especially Judge [[Leonie Brinkema]] tolerated the bizarre and threatening courtroom behavior of Moussaoui.<ref name="NYTimes2006-02-14" />  Moussaoui expressed contempt for the trial and court by introducing [[legal motion]]s deriding Judge Brinkema, surprised onlookers by electing to represent himself in court, and rankled [[United States federal government|federal]] prosecutors by requesting the presence of captured [[al-Qaeda]] members as witnesses in his case.

During the trial, Moussaoui initially stated that he was not involved in the September 11 attacks, but that he was planning an attack of his own. Some al-Qaeda members reportedly corroborated Moussaoui's statement saying that he was involved in a plot other than September 11, but prosecutors believed that his story had no merit. On 3 April 2006, Moussaoui was found to be eligible for the [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]]. Before leaving the courtroom, he was reported to have shouted, "You will never get my blood. God curse you all!"<ref>Hirschkorn, Phil. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/03/moussaoui.verdict Moussaoui eligible for death penalty.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032847/http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/03/moussaoui.verdict |date=March 4, 2016}} ''[[CNN]]'' (2006-04-05)</ref>

On 3 May 2006, a jury decided against the death penalty for Moussaoui. The next day, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As he was led out of the courtroom, Moussaoui clapped his hands and said, "America, you lost ... I won."<ref name="Sniffen" /> Judge Brinkema responded by telling him that he would "die with a whimper" and "never get a chance to speak again".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4972184.stm Judge hits back in Moussaoui spat.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220074000/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4972184.stm |date=February 20, 2009}} ''BBC News'' (2006-04-04).</ref> In giving their reasoning against recommending the death penalty, most jurors referenced Moussaoui having an "unstable early childhood and dysfunctional family" and problems with his parents. Three jurors also wrote that they believed Moussaoui had only limited knowledge of the September 11 plot.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/us/04moussaoui.html|title=Moussaoui Given Life Term by Jury Over Link to 9/11|first=Neil A.|last=Lewis|newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 4, 2006}}</ref>

Moussaoui is currently incarcerated in ADX Florence, Colorado.<ref name="Withdraw" />

==Personal history==

===Childhood===
Aicha el-Wafi, Moussaoui's mother, was 14 when she was married to a man that she did not previously know,<ref>The Independent, 8 September 2011, '' 'I Love My Son More Than Ever..' The 9/11 Terrorist's Mother Who Won't Give Up'' p, 26-27 {{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/i-love-my-son-more-than-ever-911-terrorists-mother-who-wont-give-up-2350965.html |title='I love my son more than ever' 9/11 terrorist's mother who won't give up &#124; Europe &#124; News &#124; the Independent |website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |access-date=2011-08-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095336/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/i-love-my-son-more-than-ever-911-terrorists-mother-who-wont-give-up-2350965.html |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> in Morocco.<ref>Kennedy, Helen. [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/399576p-338493c.html Terrorist's mom gets hug.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523055930/http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/399576p-338493c.html |date=May 23, 2006}} ''New York Daily News'' (2006-03-14).</ref> Five years later, Moussaoui's parents moved to France, where he was born. After enduring [[domestic violence]], his mother left his father Omar while her four children were still young.<ref name="DOMESTIC" /> She raised her children on a cleaner's wages. There was no religious education within the family. Witnesses testified at Moussaui's trial that, as first-generation immigrants from [[Morocco]], the family frequently faced [[racism]] in their new country.<ref name="Sniffen" />{{Better source needed|reason=Source is an unsubstantiated claim by the Jihadist's brother, first published by hard-left Guardian and reinforced by other hard-Left, non-objective media houses|date=March 2024}} From 1982, Moussaoui, his brother and sisters, were brought up in a [[bungalow]] on the  edge of the town of [[Narbonne]]. His mother has said that she believes two 'wounding' incidents in his French adolescence contributed to the formation of an extremist sensibility: the first the day that his school careers adviser pushed him towards minor, technical studies, with "the clear implication that he was only an Arab and would need nothing more," and the second the day that the father of his teenage sweetheart warned him off because he was an Arab. "Don't think that you will ever get your feet under my table," the man said."<ref>The Independent, 8 September 2011</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Unsubstantiated inversionist claims by the Jihadist's brother published by hard-Left, non-objective source Guardian, a conflict of interest|date=March 2024}}

According to his brother, Abd Samad Moussaoui, Zacarias loved to play [[team handball|handball]]:<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/apr/19/shopping.september11 My Brother Zac.] ''The Guardian Unlimited'' (2003-04-18).</ref>

<blockquote>For Zacarias [his brother wrote in ''the Guardian''], handball quickly became more than a sport—it was his passion. He was brilliant. Everyone recognized it—his trainers, his team-mates, even his opponents. For Zacarias, the future was all mapped out. He would study and play sports.</blockquote>

===Militant training===
Moussaoui has been known by other names, reportedly including '''Abu Khaled al Sahrawi''' and '''Shaquil''' while he was in Oklahoma.<ref name="Oklahoma" /> He holds a [[master's degree]] in [[International Business]] from [[London South Bank University|South Bank University]] in London, having enrolled in 1993 and graduated in 1995.<ref>Woodward, Will. [https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/oct/06/september11.usa1 Hijack suspect was South Bank student.] ''The Guardian'' (2001-10-06).</ref> He attended, amongst others, the [[Brixton Mosque]],<ref name="isim" /> where he may have met [[Richard Reid (shoe bomber)|Richard Reid]], the future shoe bomber.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1731568.stm |title=Who is Richard Reid? |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2010-01-16|date=28 December 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/27/world/a-nation-challenged-the-convert-shoe-bomb-suspect-fell-in-with-extremists.html?pagewanted=all | title = A Nation challenged-the convert; Shoe-Bomb Suspect Fell in With Extremists | newspaper = [[New York Times]] | access-date = 2010-01-16 | author = [[Warren Hoge|Hoge, Warren]] | date= December 27, 2001 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140509001705/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/27/world/a-nation-challenged-the-convert-shoe-bomb-suspect-fell-in-with-extremists.html?pagewanted=all | archive-date = 2014-05-09 | url-status = live}}</ref> He was proselytised by groups such as [[al-Muhajiroun]] ("the Emigrants"), who leafleted people attending moderate mosques such as that in Brixton.<ref name="isim" /> It is possible that he had connections with members of the [[Finsbury Park mosque]], where the extremist [[Abu Hamza al-Masri]] taught.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

French authorities began monitoring Moussaoui in 1996 when they observed him with Islamic extremists in London. In 1998, he attended the Khalden training camp in Afghanistan, allegedly returning the next year as well. In September 2000, he visited [[Malaysia]] and stayed in a condominium owned by [[Yazid Sufaat]] who, in October 2000, signed letters identifying Moussaoui as a representative of his company. Two of the 11 September hijackers lived in the same condominium in January 2000. [[Jemaah Islamiah]] leader [[Riduan Ismauddin]] sent Sufaat to provide Moussaoui with {{USD|35,000}} and travel documents in Malaysia in October.

===Flight training===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:MN00624A.jpg|thumb|Moussaoui's [[International Student Identity Card]].]]  -->From 26 February to 29 May 2001, Moussaoui attended flight training courses at Airman Flight School in [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]], Oklahoma. Despite 57 hours of flying lessons, he failed and left without ever having flown solo. This school was also visited by [[Mohamed Atta]] and [[Marwan al-Shehhi]], who piloted planes into the north and south towers of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]].

During his time in Norman, Moussaoui had a roommate named Hussein al-Attas. On 11 August 2001, Hussein al-Attas drove Moussaoui to Minnesota from Oklahoma.<ref name="paradise" /> Hussein al-Attas said that he and Moussaoui planned to take a trip to New York City in late August/early September 2001. In 2002, al-Attas admitted that he lied to the FBI to conceal

*  Moussaoui's name, extremist jihadi and anti-American beliefs, and his efforts to radicalize al-Attas;
*  his (al-Attas's) own radical tendencies; and 
*  the names of other Middle Easterners who were taking flight lessons in Oklahoma.<ref name="Oklahoma" />

Moussaoui allegedly received US$14,000 in wire transfers from bin al-Shibh, originating from [[Düsseldorf]] and [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]], in early August. This money could have helped him pay for flight training he took about two weeks later at Pan-Am International Flight Academy in [[Eagan, Minnesota|Eagan]], Minnesota. On August 13, Moussaoui paid US$6,800 with US$100 bills to receive training in a [[747-400]] [[flight simulator|simulator]]. The simulator that [[Pan Am International Flight Academy|Pan-Am]] uses is operated by Northwest Aerospace Training Corporation (NATCO), a training facility affiliated with [[Northwest Airlines]]. Moussaoui was reportedly considered as a replacement for [[Ziad Jarrah]], who at one point threatened to withdraw from the scheme because of tensions amongst the plotters.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Eggen |title=Questions Linger on Moussaoui's Role in 9/11 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10300-2005Apr22.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2005-04-23 |access-date=2008-05-03}}</ref> Plans to include Moussaoui were never completed because the al-Qaeda hierarchy allegedly had doubts about his reliability.

Clarence Prevost, the flight instructor assigned to Moussaoui, began to have suspicions about his student. His behavior largely resembled that of other seemingly wealthy men who had come to the center in the past to receive jumbo jet training despite the fact that they would likely never use it, but some characteristics were unusual. Prevost said later that in pre-simulator instruction, Moussaoui would ask questions that had the right [[jargon]] but were otherwise nonsensical. Moussaoui read through the 747 training manuals, but had a lack of understanding of the plane's systems. Prevost was confused as to why Moussaoui would seek simulator time if he lacked basic plane knowledge. After some convincing, his supervisors contacted the [[FBI]], who came to meet with him. (Despite later reports, Moussaoui did not skip the training for takeoff and landing).<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/24/moussaoui.reward/index.html?eref=rss_topstories Flight instructor gets $5 million for catching terror suspect] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043117/http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/24/moussaoui.reward/index.html?eref=rss_topstories |date=March 4, 2016}} ''CNN'' (2008-01-25)</ref>

===Capture===
On 16 August 2001, Moussaoui was arrested by Harry Samit of the [[FBI]] and [[Immigration and Naturalization Service|INS]] agents in [[Minnesota]] and charged with an immigration violation.<ref name="StatementOfFacts"/> Materials itemized when he was arrested included a laptop computer, two knives, flight manuals pertaining to Boeing's 747 aircraft, a flight simulator computer program, fighting gloves and shin guards, and a computer disk with information about [[crop dusting]].<ref name="StatementOfFacts" />

Some agents worried that his flight training had violent intentions, so the Minnesota bureau tried to get permission (sending over 70 emails in a week) to search his laptop, but they were turned down.<ref name="damning"/> FBI agent [[Coleen Rowley]] made an explicit request for permission to search Moussaoui's personal rooms. This request was first denied by her superior, Deputy General Counsel Marion "Spike" Bowman, and later rejected based upon [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act|FISA]] regulations (amended after 9/11 by the [[USA Patriot Act]]). Several further search attempts similarly failed.

[[Ahmed Ressam]], the captured [[al-Qaeda]] Millennium Bomber, was at the time sharing information with the US authorities, in an effort to gain leniency in his sentencing.  One person whom he was not asked about until after 9/11, but whom he was able to identify when asked as having trained with him at al-Qaeda's Khalden Camp in Afghanistan, was Moussaoui.<ref name="a911" />  The ''[[9/11 Commission Report]]'' opined that had Ressam been asked about Moussaoui, he would have broken the FBI's logjam.<ref name="a911" /> Had that happened, the report opined, the U.S. might conceivably have disrupted or derailed the 9/11 attacks altogether.<ref name="a911" />

==Court proceedings==
On 11 December 2001, Moussaoui was [[indictment|indicted]] by a federal [[grand jury]] in [[United States District Court]] for the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia|Eastern District of Virginia]] on six felony charges: conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder United States employees, and conspiracy to destroy property.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/moussaouiindictment.htm UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI - Indictment.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715180259/http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/moussaouiindictment.htm |date=July 15, 2009}} United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Alexandria Division, United States Department of Justice, December 2001. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref> The indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui named as unindicted co-conspirators Ramzi Bin al-Shibh and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, among others, for their role in the attack "to murder thousands of innocent people in [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Virginia]] and [[Pennsylvania]]".

On 2 January 2002, Moussaoui refused to enter any plea to the charges and so Judge Leonie Brinkema entered pleas of not guilty. A hearing was held on 22 April 2002, to determine his right to self-representation, for by then Moussaoui had declined the assistance of his court-appointed attorneys, and asked to defend himself. At another hearing on 13 June 2002, Brinkema deemed him competent to defend himself and allowed the case to move forward. However, Moussaoui later requested the occasional assistance of attorneys to help him with technical issues.

Moussaoui admitted his involvement with al-Qaeda, but claimed he was not involved in the 9/11 attacks. Rather, he claimed that he was preparing for a separate attack. [[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]] had earlier told investigators that Moussaoui met with him prior to 11 September, but that he, Mohammed, chose not to use him. No evidence directly linking Moussaoui to the 9/11 attacks has yet been released.

The trial highlighted a tension in the United States between the [[judicial branch|judiciary]] and [[national security]]. Moussaoui made requests for access to confidential documents and the right to call captive al-Qaeda members as witnesses, notably bin al-Shibh, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and [[Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi]]. Both requests were claimed by prosecutors to be potential threats to national security. Brinkema denied the motion to access confidential documents, although Moussaoui was permitted to use several al-Qaeda prisoners as witnesses.

Brinkema put the death penalty "off limits" on 2 October 2003, in reply to government defiance of her order to provide access to Moussaoui's witnesses. The [[Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals]] reversed the Brinkema ruling, holding that the U.S. government could use summaries of interviews/interrogations of these witnesses. On 21 March 2005, the [[United States Supreme Court]], without comment, declined to hear Moussaoui's pre-trial [[appeal]] of the Fourth Circuit's decision, returning the case to Brinkema.

On 22 April 2005, in one of the court sessions near the end of that phase of the proceedings, Moussaoui surprised the court by unexpectedly pleading guilty to all charges, while at the same time denying having any intention to produce a massacre like 9/11. He said that it was not his conspiracy, and that he intended to free Sheikh [[Omar Abdel-Rahman]]. According to Moussaoui, his master plan was to hijack a [[Boeing]] [[747-400]], since the plane is one of a few that could reach [[Afghanistan]] from the U.S. without any intermediate stops.

On 6 February 2006, Moussaoui shouted "I am al-Qaeda. They do not represent me; they are Americans," referring to his attorneys while being escorted from the courtroom in front of 120 potential [[jury|jurors]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/02/06/moussaoui.trial/index.html Moussaoui: 'I am al Qaeda'.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227001616/http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/02/06/moussaoui.trial/index.html |date=December 27, 2016}} ''CNN'' (2006-02-06).</ref>

In March 2006, during the Moussaoui trial, several premises made headlines, including FBI agents stating that the bureau was aware, years before the attacks in 2001, that al-Qaeda planned to use planes to destroy important buildings,<ref>Barakat, Matthew. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/08/national/a090713S88.DTL Moussaoui Jury Watches Video Testimony.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216234158/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2006%2F03%2F08%2Fnational%2Fa090713S88.DTL |date=February 16, 2007}} ''Associated Press'' (2006-03-08).</ref> and Brinkema's decision to consider dismissal of the death penalty. However, days later, under significant media attention, Brinkema decided not to dismiss the case, and instead ruled that witnesses could not testify and the government would be allowed to continue to seek the death sentence against him.<ref>[http://www.thebostonchannel.com/consumer/8001206/detail.html Government Can Seek Death Penalty In 9/11 Case.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222052034/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/consumer/8001206/detail.html |date=February 22, 2012}} ''TheBostonChannel.com'' (2006-03-14).</ref>

On 27 March 2006, Moussaoui testified that he and "shoe bomber" [[Richard Reid]] had planned to crash a hijacked airplane into the [[White House]] in the 11 September attacks. No direct connection between Moussaoui and Reid had ever before been alleged, and this testimony contradicted earlier testimony by Moussaoui that he had been intended for an operation after 11 September. When asked why he had previously lied, he stated that "You're allowed to lie for jihad. You're allowed any technique to defeat your enemy."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4850988.stm Moussaoui lies 'let 9/11 happen'.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314041855/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4850988.stm |date=March 14, 2007}} ''[[BBC News]]'' (2006-03-27.)</ref><ref>Hirschkorn, Phil. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/27/moussaoui/index.html Moussaoui: White House was my 9/11 target.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506031004/http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/27/moussaoui/index.html |date=May 6, 2016}} ''[[CNN]]'' (2006-03-27.)</ref> There has been commentary in the mainstream media that Moussaoui's preference to die as an identified 9/11 plotter rather than receive a life sentence as a member of an unrealized scheme throws doubt on his self-admitted connection to 9/11.<ref name="Slate2006-04-03" /><ref>Serrano, Richard A. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1014178801.html?dids=1014178801:1014178801&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+3%2C+2006&author=Richard+A.+Serrano&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=The+Nation In Court, Two 20th Hijackers Stand Up.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019085003/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1014178801.html?dids=1014178801%3A1014178801&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Apr%203%2C%202006&author=Richard%20A.%20Serrano&pub=Los%20Angeles%20Times&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=The%20Nation |date=October 19, 2012}} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (2006-04-03.)</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/27/ap/national/mainD8GK7DEG0.shtml Moussaoui Says He Was to Hijack 5th Plane.] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20071123051552/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/27/ap/national/mainD8GK7DEG0.shtml |date=November 23, 2007}} [[Associated Press]] (2006-03-27.)</ref>

===Court statements===
Moussaoui refused legal representation for years; he entered confusing, insulting, and parallel court pleadings. His pleadings, statements, and behavior included the following:

'''2 January 2002:''' Moussaoui stated, "In the name of [[Allah]], I do not have anything to plea, and I enter no plea."<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/nashdef1.html United States of America v. Zacarias Moussaoui, Memorandum of Law Regarding Defendant's Motion to Proceed ''pro se'' and Status of Counsel.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002205420/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/nashdef1.html |date=October 2, 2009}} ''The Smoking Gun.'' Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref>

'''22 April 2002:''' Moussaoui tried to fire his court-appointed lawyers. Judge Brinkema took the request under advisement; on 13 June 2002, she ordered that he had the right to defend himself, and a search began for a Muslim lawyer.<ref name=sgun>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/moussaoui1.html Court transcript.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002205438/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/moussaoui1.html |date=October 2, 2009}} ''The Smoking Gun.'' Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref> Moussaoui cited several [[surah]]s of the [[Qur'an]]—including Al-i-imran 3:118, Al-anfal 8:36, Al-anfal 8:45, Al-i-Imran 3:175 and Al-An-am 6:162—to the judge as justification for firing his lawyers, proof of the government's and judge's corruption, confirmation of his innocence, and assurance that he was taking the best possible course of defense.<ref name=sgun/> He then prayed to Allah for the return of [[Al-Andalus]] ([[Spain]] and [[Portugal]]) and the deliverance of [[Ceuta]], [[Melilla]], [[India]] and [[Kashmir]] to the Muslims.<ref name=sgun/> He also prayed for the destruction of several nations—including [[Israel]] (and the Jewish people as a whole), [[Russia]], [[Canada]], [[UK]], [[Australia]], and the U.S.—and for the liberation of [[Palestine]], [[Chechnya]], and [[Afghanistan]].<ref name=sgun/> The Court ordered a psychiatric evaluation in response.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5243788  Timeline: The Case Against Zacarias Moussaoui] NPR. May 3, 2006.</ref>

'''7 June 2002:''' A court-appointed psychiatrist declared Moussaoui sufficiently competent for trial.<ref>[http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/moussaoui/usmouss72502grspr11.pdf Government's response to Standby Counsel] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309015826/http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/moussaoui/usmouss72502grspr11.pdf |date=March 9, 2016}} at FindLaw.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-17.</ref>

'''11 June 2002:''' Moussaoui filed a motion, titled ''Motion for pre-contempt of Leonie Brinkema order to declare Zacarias Moussaoui crazy'', which insisted on his competence to stand trial.<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/morezac2.html Court notes.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208014317/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/morezac2.html |date=February 8, 2006}} ''The Smoking Gun.'' Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref> In it, he said he had tried "to get the help of the European Court of Justice and Parliaments". He then offered a psychological analysis of Judge Brinkema:

<blockquote>
Mental Status Enumeration: Axis 1; Acute symptoms of Islamophobia with complex of gender inferiority.
<br />
Diagnostic Impressions: Legal pathological killer instinct with egoboasting dementia to become supreme.
<br />
Conclusion and Recommendations: Immediate psychiatric hospitalization to specialist unit (propose unit UBL treatment center ... )</blockquote>

'''18 July 2002:''' Moussaoui entered a guilty plea, stating, "I have knowledge and I participated in al-Qaeda. I am a member of al-Qaeda ... I pledge [[bay'at|bayat]] to [[Osama bin Laden]]."<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/zacplea3.html Court transcript.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051107203730/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/zacplea3.html |date=November 7, 2005}} The Smoking Gun. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref> The Court rejected the guilty plea as unconsidered and ordered Moussaoui to rethink his plea.

'''24 July 2002:''' Moussaoui's roommate from Oklahoma flight school, 24-year-old Hussein al-Attas, pleaded guilty to seven counts of [[making false statements]], including the following:

<blockquote>The truth is that on several occasions, during the short time I knew him (Moussaoui) had expressed a general desire to participate in jihad, so my statement to the contrary was false ... When the agents asked if I (also) knew his real name, I lied and said I did not.<ref name="Oklahoma" /></blockquote>

Al-Attas stated that he told the FBI he was going to Pakistan to seek medical assistance for a sick relative in Saudi Arabia, but admitted, "The real reason was (Moussaoui) had convinced me to go to speak to Islamic scholars and others who hold the belief that Islamic religion favors participation in jihad."{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

Furthermore, al-Attas admitted to lying about his plans to go with Moussaoui to New York City in late August, 2001. He also confessed that he lied about some of Moussaoui's classmates at an Oklahoma flight school.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moussaoui-roommate-pleads-guilty/ Moussaoui Roommate Pleads Guilty.]  ''CBS News'' (2002-07-22).</ref>

'''28 July 2002:''' Moussaoui pleaded guilty to four of six counts of conspiracy. He denied charges of conspiracy to murder United States employees and destroy property.

<blockquote>Today, I truthfully will enter on some of the charges, not all, a plea of guilty ... It should not be misunderstood that I endorse the entire indictment. There is enough factual basis for me to plead guilty in a truthful manner.<ref>[http://www.courttv.com/trials/moussaoui/072502_ap.html Moussaoui tries to plead guilty to four charges; then withdraws.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031084408/http://www.courttv.com/trials/moussaoui/072502_ap.html |date=October 31, 2006}} Court TV News (2002-07-25).</ref></blockquote>

The Court rejected the guilty plea as too informal and reappointed his counsel. Moussaoui's response to this order to work with court-appointed counsel was, "It is most disgusting."

'''22 April 2003:''' Moussaoui filed a pleading with the header shown below. In the pleading, Judge Brinkema is referred to as "Death Judge Leonie".

<blockquote>
In the Name of Allah; Censured by the United Sodom of America
<br />
4/19/2003; Case No. 01455A; 17 S 1423<br />
Slave of Allah, Zacharias Moussaoui vs. <br />
Slave of Satan, John Ashcroft<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/zmoulist1.html Court notes.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002205404/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/zmoulist1.html |date=October 2, 2009}} ''The Smoking Gun.'' Retrieved on 2007-06-17.</ref></blockquote>

'''18 July 2003:''' Moussaoui filed two pleadings. The first was titled ''Wanted for WTC Bankruptcy'' and offered an accounting of "WTC profit and loss" of "Loss: 3000 sons of evil. Profit: 19 slaves of Allah." That document had the following header:

<blockquote>
In the Name of Allah; Censured by the United Satan of America<br />
Slave of Allah, Zacharias Moussaoui vs.<br />
Slave of Satan, Bush and Ashcroft<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/mouunseal1.html Court notes.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117205745/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/mouunseal1.html |date=January 17, 2010}} ''The Smoking Gun.'' Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref></blockquote>

The second pleading was titled ''No Pig Man Role in Moussaoui Deliverance Scenario'' and stated "To be seen in all God Fearing '''W'''orld '''T'''heatre '''C'''inema. Deadline for 3000+ hotseat tickets (please contact '''U'''nited '''B'''ooking '''L'''imited)."

'''21 March 2006:''' In response to al-Atta's testimony, Moussaoui commented, "God Bless Mohammed Atta."<ref name="paradise" />

'''6 May 2006:''' In an [[affidavit]] filed by his attorneys after the trial, Moussaoui stated,<ref name="Withdraw" />

{{blockquote|
10. During the plea colloquy I made it clear to the Court that I did not have knowledge of and was not a member of the plot to hijack and crash planes into buildings in 11 September 2001 but that I was part of another Al-Qaeda plot which was to occur after 11 September 2001.

11. My court appointed attorneys kept telling me that I should not testify and I thought that they would prevent me from testifying, so I decided to ask the government to let me testify as their witness.

12. It is my recollection that when the judge addressed the jury before my trial began, she informed the jury that I was part of the 11 September plot which further confirmed my distrust of the American justice system and further convinced me to testify since I was going to be given death for the 11 September plot anyway.

13. I decided to testify that I had knowledge of and was a member of the plot to hijack planes and crash them into buildings on 11 September 2001, even though I knew that was a complete fabrication.

14. I have never met Mohammed Atta and, while I may have seen a few of the other hijackers at the guesthouse, I never knew them or anything about their operation.

15. As I stated during my plea colloquy, I was in the United States as a member of Al-Qaeda but was involved in a separate operation ...

18. Because I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial even with Americans as jurors and that I can have the opportunity to prove that I did not have any knowledge of and was not a member of the plot to hijack planes and crash them into buildings on 11 September 2001, I wish to withdraw my guilty plea and ask the Court for a new trial to prove my innocence of the 11 September plot.}}

Additional case filings are posted online.<ref>[http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/terrorism/cases/index.html#moussaoui Convicted al Qaeda Terrorist Facing Death Penalty Sentencing Trial.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504174546/http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/terrorism/cases/index.html#moussaoui |date=May 4, 2006}} FindLaw Legal News: Special Coverage: War on Terror: Cases. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref>

===Trial and sentencing===
Moussaoui, charged with conspiring to hijack planes and crash them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, was in jail in Minnesota when the Sept. 11 attacks unfolded. In seeking a death sentence, prosecutors were required to prove that he "intentionally participated in an act ... and the victim died as a direct result of the act". Moussaoui admitted he knew about the attacks and did nothing to stop them.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Having entered a guilty plea, Moussaoui was eligible for the [[death penalty]]. Germany said it would not release evidence against Moussaoui unless the U.S. promised not to seek death as punishment. On 27 April 2005, French Justice Minister [[Dominique Perben]] said, "When France gave elements of information about Mr Moussaoui to the American justice, I obtained a written engagement of the United States not to use these elements to require or execute the death penalty."<ref>{{in lang|fr}} Kacem, Abdel. [http://fides.ifrance.com/fides/html/mousaou1.html Le deal de la France avec Washington.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060713222914/http://fides.ifrance.com/fides/html/mousaou1.html |date=July 13, 2006}} ''Fidès Journal'' (Nov 29, 2002)</ref>

On 14 March 2006, Brinkema ruled that the prosecution could continue to seek the death penalty against Moussaoui, but could not use key witnesses coached by government lawyer [[Carla Martin]]. On 3 April 2006, the jury in his case decided that Moussaoui was eligible for the death penalty.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

At Moussaoui's sentencing trial, FBI agent Greg Jones testified that, prior to the attacks, he urged his supervisor, Michael Maltbie, "to prevent Zacarias Moussaoui from flying a plane into the World Trade Center". Maltbie had refused to act on 70 requests from another agent, Harry Samit, to obtain a warrant to search Moussaoui's computer.<ref name="damning" />

On 3 May 2006, the jury reached a verdict: that Moussaoui be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Moussaoui was sentenced to six consecutive life terms on 4 May,<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12615601 Moussaoui formally sentenced, still defiant.] NBC News (May 4, 2006).</ref> as Judge Brinkema expressed her belief that the sentence was an appropriate one, inasmuch as it would deprive Moussaoui of "[[martyr]]dom in a great big bang of glory" and of the "chance to speak again", after Moussaoui entered the courtroom proclaiming his victory and asserting that the United States would "never get Osama bin Laden". As he was leaving the courtroom, Moussaoui said, "America, you lost and I won," and clapped his hands twice. In fact, a single juror had saved Moussaoui from {{nowrap|death{{tsp}}{{mdash}}}}{{tsp}}the foreman of the 12-person federal jury told ''The Washington Post'' that the panel voted 11–1, 10–2 and 10–2 in favor of the death penalty on the three charges for which Moussaoui was eligible for execution.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080516064603/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051101884.html One Juror Between Terrorist And Death]. ''Washington Post'' (May 12, 2006).</ref> A unanimous vote on any one of the three terrorism charges was required to return a death sentence.

On 8 May 2006, Moussaoui filed papers with the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia requesting to withdraw his guilty plea, stating that his earlier claim of participation in the 11 September plot was a "complete fabrication". He said that he was "extremely surprised" that he was not sentenced to death. "I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial even with Americans as jurors," he said.<ref>Asseo, Laurie. [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aM4lKxRGuqBQ Moussaoui Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea in Sept. 11 Attacks.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626151249/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aM4lKxRGuqBQ |date=June 26, 2009}} Bloomberg (May 8, 2006).</ref> However, federal sentencing rules forbid pleas to be withdrawn after a sentence has already been executed, and Moussaoui had already waived his rights to [[appeal]].

On 13 May 2006, Moussaoui was moved from his holding cell in [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], [[Virginia]], and transported via [[Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System|JPATS]] to the supermax [[ADX Florence|United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility]], located near [[Florence, Colorado|Florence]], [[Colorado]].<ref>{{cite web|date=May 13, 2006 |url=http://www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2006/051306a.htm |title=U.S. Marshals Deliver Zacarias Moussaoui to "ADMAX" Prison |publisher=[U.S. Marshals] |access-date=Feb 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109061851/http://www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2006/051306a.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref> The facility—considered the most secure federal penitentiary—is called the "[[Alcatraz]] of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]]".<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12636492/ "Moussaoui headed for 'Alcatraz of the Rockies'"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104083810/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12636492/ |date=November 4, 2012}}, [[MSNBC]].com (May 5, 2006)</ref> He has the [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] number 51427-054.<ref name="BOP" />

On 31 July 2006, the 1,202 exhibits presented during the case of ''United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui'' were posted online, marking the first time the exhibits of a criminal case in U.S. courts were so published.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/ |title=United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui Criminal, No. 01-455-A Trial Exhibits |publisher=United States District Court Eastern District of Virginia |access-date=2010-04-17 |archive-date=2008-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516063610/http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/notablecases/moussaoui/exhibits/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 20 November 2007, Judge Brinkema publicly stated that the US government had provided incorrect information about evidence in the Moussaoui trial and that due to those actions, she was considering ordering a new trial in a related terrorism case, that of Ali al-Timimi, a Virginia Muslim cleric. Brinkema said that she could no longer trust the CIA and other government agencies on how they represent classified evidence in cases regarding terrorism after Moussaoui case prosecutors admitted that the CIA had assured her that no videotapes or audiotapes existed of interrogations of certain high-profile terrorism detainees, but later, in a letter made public 13 November, two such videotapes and one audio tape were made known.<ref>{{cite web 
| url = https://www.jurist.org/news/2007/11/us-judge-mulls-new-terror-trial-for/
| title = US judge mulls new terror trial for Muslim cleric after Moussaoui evidence revelations
| author = Mike Rosen-Molina
| date = November 21, 2007
| website = JURIST Legal News & Research Services}}</ref> According to his testimony, the citizen had training in accounting and organized the Al Qaeda's finances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1569256/2927-5-moussaoui-transcript-1.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234500/https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1569256/2927-5-moussaoui-transcript-1.pdf|title=Exhibit "5" to the Affirmation of Sean P. Carter Transmitting Evidence in Support of Plaintiffs' Memorandum of Law in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia & Herzegovina|archivedate=March 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1569257/2927-6-moussaoui-transcript-2.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050406/https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1569257/2927-6-moussaoui-transcript-2.pdf|title=Exhibit "6" to the Affirmation of Sean P. Carter Transmitting Evidence in Support of Plaintiffs' Memorandum of Law in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia & Herzegovina|archivedate=March 4, 2016}}</ref>

===Osama bin Laden's alleged response===
On 23 May 2006, an audio recording attributed to [[Osama bin Laden]] said in translation that Moussaoui "had no connection at all with 11 September... I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers and I never assigned brother Zacarias to be with them in that mission ... Since Zacarias Moussaoui was still learning to fly, he wasn't number 20 in the group, as your government claimed". The voice alleged to be bin Laden also suggested that Moussaoui's confession was "void" as it was a result of pressures applied during his incarceration.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12938808 Bin Laden tape: Bin Laden: Moussaoui Not Linked to 9/11.]  ''Associated Press'' (2006-05-24)</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/bin-laden-moussaoui-wasnt-sept-11-conspirator Bin Laden: Moussaoui Wasn't Sept. 11 Conspirator.]  ''Fox News'' (2006-05-24).</ref>

===Civil action 2015===
Civil action is being taken by relatives of 9/11 victims, insurers and others against the [[Saudi Arabia]]n government. In the course of this, Zacarias Moussaoui has stated on oath and wrote to Judge [[George B. Daniels]] that Saudi royal family members helped finance the 11 September attacks and al-Qaeda. Prince [[Turki bin Faisal Al Saud]], Prince [[Bandar Bin Sultan]] and Prince [[Al-Waleed bin Talal]], of the Saudi royal family were specifically mentioned as Al-Qaeda donors—but the project's major patron was Prince [[Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud]], who in January 2015 became Saudi Arabia's king.<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-04" /> Moussaoui's testimony provides new details of the extent and nature of that support in the pre-9/11 period. Judge Leonie M. Brinkema declared "Moussaoui is completely competent", called him "an extremely intelligent man" and added: "He has actually a better understanding of the legal system than some lawyers I've seen in court".<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-03" />

Former senators [[Bob Graham]] of Florida and [[Bob Kerrey]] of Nebraska, and the former Navy secretary [[John Lehman]], believed the Saudi role in the 9/11 plot had never been adequately examined, and they demanded the release of 28 pages of the [[Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001|congressional report]] that explored Saudi connections.<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-04b" /> The administrations of Presidents [[George W. Bush]] and [[Barack Obama]] both had refused to declassify the 28 pages on the grounds of "national security" but, as Graham argued, the opposite was true; the real "threat to national security is non-disclosure": The Saudis know what they did and the U.S. knows what they did, and when the U.S. government takes a position of neutrality or actively shuts down inquiry, that sends a message to the Saudis. "They have continued, maybe accelerated their support for the most extreme form of Islam known as [[Wahhabism]]" he stated, arguing that both [[al Qaeda]] and [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] are "a creation of Saudi Arabia". On 7 January 2015, Graham, [[United States House of Representatives|Congressmen]] [[Walter B. Jones, Jr.|Walter Jones]] and [[Stephen F. Lynch]], and members of the 9/11 families including Terry Strada, national co-chair of the ″9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism″, held a press conference on Capitol Hill announcing the reintroduction of the resolution calling for the declassification of the 28 pages. Graham said that those pages "point a very strong finger at Saudi Arabia as the principal financier" of the 9/11 hijackers: "This may seem stale to some but it's as current as the headlines we see today," referring to the [[Charlie Hebdo shooting|terrorist attack]] on a satirical newspaper ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'' in [[Paris]].<ref>Jason Burke: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/04/zacarias-moussaoui-al-qaida-backed-by-saudi-arabia "Zacarias Moussaoui says al-Qaida was backed by Saudi Arabia. But can he be believed?"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912082636/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/04/zacarias-moussaoui-al-qaida-backed-by-saudi-arabia |date=September 12, 2016}}. ''The Guardian'', February 4, 2015</ref><ref>Eleanor Clift: [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/12/the-missing-pages-of-the-9-11-report.html "The Missing Pages of the 9/11 Report"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161214012845/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/12/the-missing-pages-of-the-9-11-report.html |date=December 14, 2016}}, ''The Daily Beast'', January 12, 2015</ref> In 2016 a partially redacted form of the [[The 28 pages|pages]] were declassified by the Obama administration.<ref>{{Cite web|author1=Jim Sciutto|author2= Ryan Browne|author3=Deirdre Walsh|date=2016-07-15|title=Congress releases secret '28 pages' on alleged Saudi 9/11 ties |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/15/politics/congress-releases-28-pages-saudis-9-11/index.html|access-date=2021-06-26|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref>

==Reward==
On 24 January 2008, Clarence Prevost, the flight instructor who led authorities to Moussaoui, received a $5 million reward from the U.S. government. The payment was questioned by agent [[Coleen Rowley]] and Senators [[Amy Klobuchar]] and [[Norm Coleman]], among others, on the basis that two other flight instructors had made the initial calls to the FBI.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/106275 Dialing For Dollars] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625221004/http://www.newsweek.com/id/106275 |date=June 25, 2009}}, ''[[Newsweek]]'', Jan 30, 2008</ref>

==See also==
* [[Nick Berg]]
* [[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]], believed to be a principal architect of the 11 September plot
* [[Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh]]
* [[Richard Reid]]
* [[Mohamed Atta]], Lead hijacker of 9/11 terrorists, died in the attacks
* [[Ramzi bin al-Shibh]], roommate of Atta, imprisoned under similar conditions as [[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]] (believed to be in [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]])
* [[Trials related to the September 11 attacks|Trials related to the 11 September attacks]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|1=2|refs=
<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-04">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/world/middleeast/pre-9-11-ties-haunt-saudis-as-new-accusations-surface.html | title = Pre-9/11 Ties Haunt Saudis as New Accusations Surface | work = [[The New York Times]] | author = Ben Hubard and [[Scott Shane]] | date = 2015-02-04 | page = A10 | location = [[Riyadh]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150208043843/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/world/middleeast/pre-9-11-ties-haunt-saudis-as-new-accusations-surface.html | archive-date = 2015-02-08 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = Yet Saudi Arabia continues to be haunted by what some suspect was a tacit alliance with Al Qaeda in the years before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Those suspicions burst out in the open again this week with the disclosure of a prison deposition of a former Qaeda operative, Zacarias Moussaoui, who claimed that more than a dozen prominent Saudi figures were donors to the terror group and that a Saudi diplomat in Washington discussed with him a plot to shoot down Air Force One.}}</ref>
<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-04b">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/us/claims-against-saudis-cast-new-light-on-secret-pages-of-9-11-report.html | title = Claims Against Saudis Cast New Light on Secret Pages of 9/11 Report | work = [[The New York Times]] | author = [[Carl Hulse]] | date = 2015-02-04 | page = A10 | location = [[Washington DC]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150208043842/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/us/claims-against-saudis-cast-new-light-on-secret-pages-of-9-11-report.html | archive-date = 2015-02-08 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = Now new claims by Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted former member of Al Qaeda, that he had high-level contact with officials of the Saudi government in the prelude to Sept. 11 have brought renewed attention to the inquiry's withheld findings, which lawmakers and relatives of those killed in the attacks have tried unsuccessfully to declassify.}}</ref>
<ref name="NYTimes2015-02-03">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/us/zacarias-moussaoui-calls-saudi-princes-patrons-of-al-qaeda.html | title = Moussaoui Calls Saudi Princes Patrons of Al Qaeda | work = [[The New York Times]] | author = [[Scott Shane]] | date = 2015-02-03 | page = A1 | location = [[Washington DC]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150208043940/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/us/zacarias-moussaoui-calls-saudi-princes-patrons-of-al-qaeda.html | archive-date = 2015-02-08 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = The Qaeda member, Zacarias Moussaoui, wrote last year to Judge George B. Daniels of United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, who is presiding over a lawsuit filed against Saudi Arabia by relatives of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He said he wanted to testify in the case, and after lengthy negotiations with Justice Department officials and the federal Bureau of Prisons, a team of lawyers was permitted to enter the prison and question him for two days last October.}}</ref>
<ref name="Slate2006-04-03">{{cite news | url = http://www.slate.com/id/2139185/ | title = When You Wish Upon a Scar: Zacarias Moussai finally makes his dream come true | publisher = [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] | author-link = Dahlia Lithwick | last = Lithwick | first = Dahlia | date = 2006-04-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110511174914/http://www.slate.com/id/2139185/ | archive-date = 2011-05-11 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = When it looked like little Moussaoui was too small to play the outsized role the prosecutors had scripted for him, he simply grew himself to fit into it. Moussaoui's lies don't appear to have actually advanced the conspiracy of 9/11, but they have certainly forwarded the conspiracy to put him to death as a perpetrator of 9/11.}}</ref>
<ref name="DOMESTIC">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/09/magazine/09MOUSSAOUI.html | title = Everybody Has a Mother | publisher = [[The New York Times Magazine]] | author-link = Susan Dominus | first = Susan | last = Dominus | date = 2003-02-09 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110512201312/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/09/magazine/09MOUSSAOUI.html | archive-date = 2011-05-12 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = He's not referring to Zacarias, who is being held in isolation in Virginia, charged with conspiracy in the Sept. 11 attacks. The waiter is talking about her other son, Abd-Samad Moussaoui, author of ''Zacarias, My Brother: The Making of a Terrorist,'' an account of his younger brother's life until 1995, when Zacarias was 27, after which the two fell permanently out of touch.}}</ref>
<ref name="NYTimes2006-02-14">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/national/14cnd-mouss.html?ex=1297573200&en=74e0ad4419ce7d57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | title = Moussaoui Is Banned from Courtroom | work = [[New York Times]] | author-link = David Stout | first = David | last = Stout | date = 2006-02-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110512201308/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/national/14cnd-mouss.html?ex=1297573200&en=74e0ad4419ce7d57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | archive-date = 2011-05-12 | access-date = 2015-02-20 | url-status = live | quote = The confessed Al Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui berated the judge today and was banned from the courtroom during the jury-selection process that will determine whether he lives or dies.}}</ref>
<ref name="BOP">"[http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=51427-054&x=27&y=30 Zacarias Moussaoui] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914151957/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=51427-054&x=27&y=30 |date=September 14, 2012}}." [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]]. Retrieved on January 5, 2010.</ref>
<ref name="Sniffen">Sniffen, Michael J. 'America, you lost -- I won': Moussaoui sentenced to life in prison. ''[[Chicago Sun Times]]'' (2006-05-04). Available at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070218193409/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060504/ai_n16344678 findarticles.com.] Retrieved on 2007-01-03</ref>
<ref name="Withdraw">[http://files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/moussaoui/mouss50806mot.pdf The United States of America v. Zacarias Moussaoui: Defendant's Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea (PDF).] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309015420/http://files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/moussaoui/mouss50806mot.pdf |date=March 9, 2016}} The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, May 2006, available at [[FindLaw.com]]. Also available at [http://notablecases.vaed.uscourts.gov/1:01-cr-00455/docs/72453/0.pdf uscourts.gov (PDF).] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517032048/http://notablecases.vaed.uscourts.gov/1%3A01-cr-00455/docs/72453/0.pdf |date=May 17, 2006}} Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref>
<ref name="Oklahoma">Hirschkorn, Phil and Deborah Feyerick. [http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/07/22/moussaoui.witness/index.html Friend of Moussaoui pleads guilty to making false statements.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030054337/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/07/22/moussaoui.witness/index.html |date=October 30, 2006}} ''CNN'' (2002-07-22).</ref>
<ref name="isim">[https://web.archive.org/web/20210912102013/http://www.isim.nl/files/review_21/review_21-18.pdf "The Religious Trajectories of the Moussaoui Family", Katherine Donahue, ISIM Review 21 (Spring 2008), p. 18, accessed 11 January 2001]</ref>
<ref name="paradise">Hirschkorn, Phil. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/21/moussaoui.trial/index.html Roommate: Moussaoui saw jihad as way to paradise.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180409/http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/21/moussaoui.trial/index.html |date=March 3, 2016}} ''CNN'' (2006-03-21).</ref>
<ref name="StatementOfFacts">{{cite web |year=2007|url = http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/images/04/22/moussaoui.statement.pdf|title = UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI&nbsp;— Criminal No. 01-455-A|publisher = [[CNN News]]| access-date = 2007-09-09}}</ref>
<ref name="a911">{{cite book|last= National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States |title=The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|year=2004|isbn=0-393-06041-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNqdmUnqTJUC&q=ressam&pg=PA501|access-date=February 28, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="damning">Markon, Jerry and Timothy Dwyer. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/damning-evidence-highlights-fbi-bungles/2006/03/21/1142703358754.html Damning evidence highlights FBI bungles.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309143632/http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/damning-evidence-highlights-fbi-bungles/2006/03/21/1142703358754.html |date=March 9, 2016}} ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (March 22, 2006).</ref>
}}

==References==
* Moussaoui, Abd Samad. ''Zacarias My Brother'' ({{ISBN|1-58322-585-4}}).
* [https://www.theguardian.com/september11/story/0,11209,1468558,00.html Moussaoui pleads guilty to role in 9/11 attacks.] ''[[Guardian Unlimited]]''/[[Associated Press]] (April 22, 2005).
* [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12615601 "Moussaoui formally sentenced, still defiant"]. Associated Press, [[MSNBC]].com.
* [http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2006/04/20084915222203521.html "Moussaoui scorns 9/11 victims"] Al Jazeera (April 14, 2006)]
* Novak, Viveca. [https://web.archive.org/web/20050305053612/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101031027-524419,00.html "How the Moussaoui Case Crumbled"] ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' (October 27, 2003).
* [http://notablecases.vaed.uscourts.gov/1:01-cr-00455/docs/72321/0.pdf Special Verdict Form for Phase II] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221150929/http://notablecases.vaed.uscourts.gov/1:01-cr-00455/docs/72321/0.pdf |date=2007-02-21 }} Official jury ballot (PDF)
* [https://archive.today/20050420223756/http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/us/0207/moussoui.timeline/frameset.exclude.html Timeline: The Zacarias Moussaoui Case.] [[CNN]].com.
* Donahue, Katherine C. 2007. ''Slave of Allah: Zacarias Moussaoui vs. The USA''. London: Pluto Press. ({{ISBN|978-0-7453-2619-1}})

==External links==
{{commons category|Zacarias Moussaoui}}
{{Wikinews|Zacarias Moussaoui to serve life in prison}}
{{Wikisource index|Zacarias Moussaoui}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100529010145/http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/moussaoui/moussaouihome.html Trial of Zacarias Moussaoui]
* [http://www.rcfp.org/moussaoui/Case documents from The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071227185116/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,193661,00.html Looking for Trouble] (''Time'' magazine)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moussaoui, Zacarias}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century French criminals]]
[[Category:People from Saint-Jean-de-Luz]]
[[Category:French Islamists]]
[[Category:French people of Moroccan descent]]
[[Category:Alumni of London South Bank University]]
[[Category:Inmates of ADX Florence]]
[[Category:French al-Qaeda members]]
[[Category:People convicted on terrorism charges]]
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[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government]]
[[Category:French people imprisoned in the United States]]
[[Category:People associated with the September 11 attacks]]
[[Category:American people of Moroccan descent]]