Mon, Apr 28, 2003
Gov't. Says He Was To Hijack Fifth Plane on 9/11
Zacarious Moussaoui, an Algerian man the FBI says
would have been the "20th hijacker" on 9/11/01, will have access to
government documents marked "Top Secret/Codeword" as an aid in his
trial defense. So says Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema, who will
preside over the courtroom drama.
Moussaoui is acting as his own attorney in the case and had
wanted to interview Ramzi Binalshibh, a top al Qaeda suspect
captured in Pakistan last year, by videolink. Moussaoui contends
Binalshibh can clear him of government charges he was part of the
terror plot that destroyed the World Trade Center and heavily
damaged the Pentagon. More than 3,000 people were killed in the
terror attacks.
The government denied his request, and submitted
the secret document to Judge Brinkema as a substitute. But
Moussaoui, who doesn't have a security clearance, can't see the
document.
Now, Judge Brinkema says Moussaoui must be allowed to view the
document, security classification aside. "This proposal is
unacceptable," she said of the government's idea.
The case is under appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
in Richmond (VA). Oral arguments are set for next month.
The Case For A Fifth Hijacking
USA Today reports the top secret document outlines
a plan involving Moussaoui in the aborted hijacking of a fifth
commercial airliner on Sept. 11, 2001. That aircraft, sources tell
the newspaper, was to have crashed into the White House. Access to
the document is "necessary not only for him to perform his role as
master of his own defense, but also for him to have a fair trial,"
according to his "stand-by" attorneys.
More News
The Industry Continues to be Rocked By Some Questionable Operations Recent investigations and a great deal of data has resulted in ANN’s SportPlane Resource Guide’s rep>[...]
Make Sure You NEVER Miss A New Story From Aero-News Network Do you ever feel like you never see posts from a certain person or page on Facebook or Instagram? Here’s how you c>[...]
Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) An airport lighting facility providing vertical visual approach slope guidance to aircraft during approach to landing by radiating a directio>[...]
Airport Marking Aids Markings used on runway and taxiway surfaces to identify a specific runway, a runway threshold, a centerline, a hold line, etc. A runway should be marked in ac>[...]
Aero Linx: The Skyhawk Association The Skyhawk Association is a non-profit organization founded by former Skyhawk Pilots which is open to anyone with an affinity for the A-4 Skyhaw>[...]