Zacarias Moussaoui, allegedly a 20th hijacker who did not die in the September 11 attacks, is entitled to use imprisoned al-Qaida leaders in his defence, an appeal court in Virginia ruled yesterday. It upheld the government's right to seek the death penalty, but said Moussaoui must be allowed to use statements - believed to come from Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, planners of the attacks in New York and Washington - which suggest he was not involved.
Moussaoui, arrested almost a month before September 11, admits planning a different attack, but insists that he is not guilty of the government's charges. A blacked-out section in the court ruling, entitled Submission of Questions by Moussaoui, has been interpreted as meaning his legal team may now be able to ask the pair specific questions. Government lawyers have argued that any access would compromise national security, and the case has been deadlocked. John Ashcroft, the attorney general, said the ruling was a victory for the government - a decision which, he said in a statement, "once again affirms our belief that the government can provide Zacarias Moussaoui with a fair trial while still protecting national security interests". |