arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Terror Suspect Moussaoui Makes Plea
by yahoonews(posted by guido) Wednesday July 03, 2002 at 11:38 PM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - The only man charged as a Sept. 11 conspirator wants to testify before Congress. Zacarias Moussaoui said he wants to tell lawmakers that the FBI had him and the 19 hijackers under surveillance before the attacks and was responsible for letting them happen.

"I, slave of Allah must be free to appear in front of the Congress hearing relating to the September 11 attack and the FBI," he said.

Moussaoui requested the unlikely appearance in one of five handwritten motions released Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema. The French citizen, 34, is acting as his own lawyer.

The government has denied Moussaoui's contention that the United States was watching him and the attackers before Sept. 11. Moussaoui was arrested in mid-August after his conduct at a Minnesota flight school caused employees to contact the FBI.

Moussaoui said the U.S. government chose not to arrest hijacker Hani Hanjour last summer because that would have tipped off the attackers that the FBI was watching them.

"They arrested me and not Hanjour who was a few week before me at Pan Am Flight School (and has been reported was a danger) because they knew that I was not with the 19 hijackers and therefore they will not be alerted ... by my arrest," the motion said.

He said the U.S. government "cynically allow Sept. 11 in order to destroy Afghanistan ( news - web sites)."