9/11 terrorist spared death

Convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was spared death yesterday by a federal grand jury that recommended the September 11 hijacking conspirator should spend the rest of his life in prison rather than be executed.

The verdict in U.S. District Court in Alexandria draws to a close more than four years of wrangling that has defined the case of the only person criminally charged in the United States with participating in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Moussaoui, who proudly proclaimed his support for al Qaeda during the trial, was triumphant after the jury’s decision was announced.

“America, you lost … I won,” Moussaoui shouted as he was led away from the courtroom.

Reacting to the verdict, President Bush noted that Moussaoui “openly rejoiced” at the deaths of thousands in the hijacking attacks and said the terrorist’s life sentence “represents the end of this case, but not an end to the fight against terror.”

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Mr. Bush noted that the Virginia jury spared Moussaoui’s life, “something that he evidently wasn’t willing to do for innocent American citizens.”

A jury of nine men and three women was not unanimous in favor of death for Moussaoui, 37, who was eligible based on three counts — committing acts of terrorism, destroying aircraft and using a weapon of mass destruction.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty, the lead prosecutor in the case, said, “The jury has spoken, and we thank them for their service.”

But Mr. McNulty stressed that Moussaoui lied to law-enforcement authorities upon his arrest shortly before the September 11 attacks.

“This lie was a critical moment in the conspiracy and allowed his fellow terrorists to carry out their plans,” Mr. McNulty said.

Much of the death-penalty trial centered on the prosecution’s effort to convince the jury that Moussaoui had been in a position to prevent the attacks and was, as a result, responsible for those who died.

As is custom, the number of jurors who opposed a death sentence was concealed, although a court spokesman said the jury unanimously found that Moussaoui “knowingly created grave risk of death to one or more” people.

The verdict drew a range of reactions. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Delaware Democrat, said he “would have liked to have seen the death penalty,” but could understand how the jury settled for life in prison.

“It’s hard for jurors I think sometimes to put someone to the maximum penalty of death for conspiracy,” Mr. Biden told MSNBC, although he added that a life sentence alongside a group of “red-blooded” American criminals would be a harsh existence for Moussaoui.

“I think that boy’s going to have what we Catholics call an epiphany,” Mr. Biden said.

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