|
Related: Suspect of Sept. 11 attacks pleads guilty in
US
 |
| US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said
on Friday the government will seek the death penalty for Zacarias
Moussaoui, who pleaded guilty earlier in the day to conspiracy in relation
with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. (Photo:
Xinhua) |
WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhuanet) -- US Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales said on Friday the government will seek the death penalty
for Zacarias Moussaoui, who pleaded guilty earlier in the day to
conspiracy in relation with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"We are seeking the death penalty
in this case," Gonzales tolda press conference shortly after Moussaoui pleaded
guilty at a US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United
States in relation with the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000
people,pleaded guilty before US District Court Leonie M. Brinkema to eachof the
six charges of conspiracy against him.
Four of the charges carry the capital punishment, and
it is widely believed that he could face the death penalty.
At the court hearing, Moussaoui said he was trained
to fly a commercial airliner into White House, but that was not part of the
Sept. 11 plot and was supposed to take place at a later time.
"I came to the United States of America to part of a
conspiracyto use an airplane as a weapon of mass destruction," he said.
While admitting his guilt, Moussaoui said however that
he would fight against the death penalty. "I will not apply for death and in
fact I will fight every inch against the death penalty," he said.
Whether Moussaoui should be executed will be decided
by a jury at the penalty phase. Enditem |