The 37-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan descent is the only person charged in the United States in connection with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Last April, against advice from his court-appointed attorneys, Moussaoui pleaded guilty to six conspiracy counts. He admitted he "knew of al-Qaida's plans to fly airplanes into prominent buildings in the United States and he agreed to travel to the United States to participate in the plan."

But during the terror attacks, Moussaoui was in jail in Minnesota on immigration charges, having aroused suspicion while training to fly Boeing 747 jumbo jets. And he claims he knew nothing of the Sept. 11 plot.

Once 12 jurors and six alternates are picked for the sentencing trial, opening statements are set for March 6. The trial could last one to three months.

The jurors will be asked to decide first whether what Moussaoui acknowledged qualifies for the death penalty and then, if so, whether he deserves it. If either answer is no, he will get life in prison.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 11, 2006
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