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Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Trials
Posted on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 08:57:27 PM EST
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For those that followed the intensive TalkLeft coverage of the first phase of Moussaoui's death penalty trial, and the proceedings leading up to it, you are probably wondering why there has been no coverage of today's proceedings in Phase Two of the death trial.

The short answer is: I have no interest in publicizing or endorsing the Government's victim impact testimony. Also, for me, as a member of Timothy McVeigh's defense team, it's somewhat of a "deja-vu , the unfairness of which I don't care to experience again in my lifetime.

The death case against Moussaoui is a fraud. Giuliani is a joke. Moussaoui may be a demented, blind follower of al-Qaeda but in my view he had no role in 9/11, let alone one that warrants the death penalty. A civilized society does not kill, let alone execute a person for their unconsummated fantasies.

Moussaoui coverage on TalkLeft will resume, if at all, when the defense begins presenting evidence to spare his life.

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    • Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage | 21 comments (21 topical)
    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 09:18:35 PM EST
    Thank you for sparing us.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#2)
    by Kitt on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 09:31:12 PM EST
    The death case against Moussaoui is a fraud. Giuliani is a joke. Moussaoui may be a demented, blind follower of al-Qaeda but in my view he had no role in 9/11, let alone one that warrants the death penalty.
    The entire case is a fraud. Moussaoui has no role in what went on and the gov't knows it. I don't know that he's any more than some hapless wannabe - if even that. I saw Jonathan Turley earlier this week or maybe over the weekend (?) who described him as 'obviously crazy' or 'insane' - no kidding. Perfect casting on the part of the gov't. I think the Dulles brothers would be proud.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 09:44:49 PM EST
    I am amazed that you can restrain yourself from stating what has been obvious to most of us since the beginning: This is a show trial, nothing more, nothing less. Is it hard for you as a lawyer to admit that Moussaoui is a patsy (the 9/11 equivalent of Oswald) and that this entire 'trial' has been a sham from the outset? For closure, the official history of 9/11 requires a guilty party, and this trial is designed to provide that. But very few thinking people (for example David Ray Griffin) accept that storyline. And if I should accidentally fall off a tall building tomorrow, or be shot in my car by persons unknown, it will just add to the parallels between 9/11, Pearl Harbor, the JFK assasination, and other state-sponsored acts that were intended to manipulate public opinion in the US.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 09:51:04 PM EST
    Cymro, I agree it is a show trial and have said that many times in my prior coverage.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#5)
    by phat on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 10:26:05 PM EST
    This is just one more travesty. I can certainly understand your refusal to report the rest of this mess. phat

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 10:53:38 PM EST
    TL, thanks -- and I should have known anyway. I will never doubt you again.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#7)
    by Edger on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 11:24:06 PM EST
    A civilized society does not kill, let alone execute a person for their unconsummated fantasies.
    A civilized society also has no need for show trials. The greedy little killers who've hijacked this society need them apparently, to feed the unconsummated fantasies of their supporters.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#8)
    by HK on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 02:15:32 AM EST
    I agree with edger. When we in the Western world call our countries 'civilized' or 'developed' what we really mean is simply 'wealthy'. This trial has grown out of a desire for someone responsible for 9/11 to die at the hands of the state rather than at their own hand. It is borne of a frustrated need for vengence. Excellent decision by Talk Left. I have always wondered whether victim impact testimonies are strictly relevent. Is the life of a homeless guy on the street worth less because no one misses him?

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 05:52:44 AM EST
    I don't support the death penalty, especially not for the mentally ill. ZM appears to be another long controlled pawn that had weakness exploited by power. I respect the TL decision not to play into the theatrics but what about the other issues involved? Carla Martin has been influential as a gatekeeper of information in the past as well as possibly harming 9/11 families' future litigation. It seems to me we have still have conflicting reports of the number of flight data recorders recovered from that day. 'Common knowledge' of the numerous cell phone calls of that day are based on technology that might not have been possible at that time. The current phase is based on accepting that 'common knowledge' This list could continue to fill the page but I assume most folks here are aware of the anomalies in the official story. The victims' families are still being denied access to crucial evidence of that day. Is it best if we ignore the chance to speak out on their behalf? Thanks again TL for a forum to share these discussions.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 07:48:38 AM EST
    Your clear-eyed approach to these issues is a rare glimmer of sanity.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#12)
    by Beck on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:05:54 AM EST
    What is the purpose of victim impact testimony? In a murder case, should the punishment for a murder be different depending on the "impact" on the victim's relatives? (Or more accurately, on the relatives' ability to tell a sob story and move the jury?) Seems to me it's just a chance to pile on.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#13)
    by Lora on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:07:33 AM EST
    Death trial for something you didn't do but wanted to do. It fits right in with pre-emptive strikes, doesn't it. And it should give us pause yet again when it comes to lawless, indiscriminate data mining, wiretapping, internet monitoring, etc. I fear that the day could come when any of us could be hauled off secretly, held indefinitely, labeled an enemy combatant, put through a kangaroo trial and even be put to death for something we didn't do but only thought about doing. Terrorism is being very loosely defined these days. I agree with TL about Moussaoui, and I believe that his trial sets a precedent which puts all of us at grave risk.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#14)
    by HK on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:19:14 AM EST
    while you all pat each other on the back and revel in your 'humanity', I'll be the lone dissenter
    Humanity means compassion and benevolence. Quite what your inverted commas are for, BB, I don't know.
    What will make you people happy?
    Erm, justice. (n. 1. morally right and fair behaviour or treatment 2. the administration of the law or authority in maintaining this. Oxford English Dictionary)

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:21:48 AM EST
    HK- I think you're right on the definition of justice but have missed the concept of applying it to reality. Where's the justice for the families when all incompetent government employees have had no corrective measures? In most cases the incompetence was rewarded.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#16)
    by HK on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 10:30:55 AM EST
    Rumi, I didn't talk about the application of justice anywhere in my post, just the notion of it. I do think that while blame per se is not always useful, there are several different parties in this case who should acknowledge some responsibility for what happened. The incompetence you speak of should be brought to light. Just pointing and saying, 'That bad man did it!' is not good enough. I like what you said in your earlier post. Could it be that a more thorough look at all the evidence available would point to errors that would indicate that if not preventable, then the 9/11 situation was at least mismanaged?

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#18)
    by caramel on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 10:59:20 AM EST
    Thanks for this wise decision. It makes me furious to watch some victims' families being used and manipulated by the government. Politicians are shameful. Thanks to those victims' families who actively fight against the death penalty, they are a real honor to our endangered species.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 11:30:03 AM EST
    HK- Soory for any misunderstanding on my part. No offense was intended either way. I think my frustration threshold has been breached too often and it blurts. It just seems that every time we have an opportunity to bring truth to light for everyone's benefit, the discussion is sidetracked by debating principles or events based on false assumptions. Like Sen Feingold has said on the illegal surveillance - it's ridiculous to think that any of us object to wiretapping A/Q suspects and an insult to suggest we do. The TSP issue is usually based on that flawed assumption, much like the ZM trial is based on many false assumptions of 9/11 and the so called GWoT. We miss the chance for progress.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 03:40:47 PM EST
    narius:
    Let me ask you this. Do you think 90% of the population in the US would like to see Moussaoui dead?
    As usual narius you demonstrate that you have no understanding of the principles on which the law operates. We don't let people vote as to who they would "like to see dead", because that vote would be completely irrelevant. Their votes would be based on fragments of information they may have heard from who knows where. That is mob rule, not a legal process. It is very easy for 90% of the people to be wrong if they have been fed a continuous stream of misleading information by the government.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#21)
    by Sailor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 03:49:17 PM EST
    Definition of a troll:
    Only a terrorist lover
    GFY. Strong message to follow.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 04:14:42 PM EST
    cool... Sailor brought the Babelfish. :D double-plus good, it is.

    Re: Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 05:55:24 PM EST
    Like many people here, I believe ZM is a scapegoat for the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. And since he may be the only left alive of the conspirators--that is, he either didn't have the guts to follow through OR wasn't asked--he'll pay for his comrades' transgression. I happen to agree that life in a federal prison will be a much greater punishment in this case than death. To ZM, death means honor. Let's save the taxpayers the money they'll need to gas up their cars and put ZM where he belongs--Fort Leavenworth.

    Moussaoui Death Trial Coverage | 21 comments (21 topical)