FBI Big: Moussaoui Barely Discussed
In Testimony, FBI Supervisor Says He Spent About 20 Seconds On Case
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Play CBS Video Video Star Witness Surprise The man expected to provide the strongest evidence for putting Zacarias Moussaoui to death instead took aim at his own bosses at the FBI when he took the stand. Jim Stewart reports.
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Video FBI Agent Blames Superiors The agent who arrested Zacarias Moussaoui took the stand at his sentencing trial, claiming the FBI ignored his warnings that Moussaoui was a terrorist. Drew Levinson reports.
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Video Moussaoui Trial Resumes Testimony resumed in the sentencing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, after proceedings were put on hold when it was discovered that a government attorney coached witnesses. Drew Levinson reports.
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An artist's rendering shows Zacarias Moussaoui, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema and attorneys as they listen to video testimony from Moussaoui's former roommate, at the sentencing trial, March 21, 2006. (AP)
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(CBS/AP)
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This artist's rendering shows Zacarius Moussaoui, foreground, listening to his defense lawyer Edward MacMahon question FBI special agent Harry Salmit, at the podium, at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Monday, March 20, 2006, where the sentencing trial of Moussaoui resumed. Standing at right is prosecution attorney David Novak. (AP Photo/Dana Verkouteren)
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Carla Martin of the Transportation Security Administration leaves federal court in Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. (AP)
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Prosecutor David Novak, right, and defense attorney Edward MacMahon, center, plead their cases to the U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema during the fifth day of Zacarius Moussaoui's sentencing trial, Alexandria, Va., on March 13, 2006. (AP)
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Interactive Zacarias Moussaoui Strange twists and turns have punctuated the admitted al Qaeda conspirator's case.
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Special Report War On Terror Complete coverage of the military's battle against terrorism.
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Timeline In Terror's Wake A look at the major developments following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
When federal agents arrested Moussaoui in Minnesota in August 2001, where he wanted to advance his training by learning to fly a commercial airliner, al-Attas was with him. Al-Attas spent more than a year in jail for making false statements to 9/11 investigators.
He was given immunity for his testimony against Moussaoui.
Al-Attas described Moussaoui as a rude man whose presence at the mosque in Norman irritated other Muslims. Moussaoui would question the mosque's imam about the proper way to pray and lectured others at the mosque, telling them they should leave the United States.
He said in his deposition, taken in 2004, that Moussaoui told him it was easy to fly a big airplane, except for landing and bad weather. Al-Attas also said he ripped up application papers for a Pakistani visa when he was arrested on immigration charges, because he was scared.
On Monday, Samit testified that his belief that Moussaoui was a radical Islamic extremist bent on terrorism was based in part on al-Attas' statements.
Samit said he worked obsessively after arresting Moussaoui on Aug. 16, 2001, to convince FBI headquarters that Moussaoui warranted a full-scale investigation and that a search warrant should be obtained for his belongings.
The agent obtained a search warrant only after the Sept. 11 attacks, and attributed the FBI's failure to launch a timely investigation to "criminal negligence" and careerism by certain agents in FBI headquarters.
Moussaoui is the only person charged in this country in the Sept. 11 attacks.
He has already pleaded guilty to conspiring with al Qaeda to hijack aircraft and commit other crimes. But he denies a specific role in 9/11, saying his training was for a future attack. His sentencing trial will determine his punishment: death or life in prison.
The FBI's actions between Moussaoui's arrest and Sept. 11 are crucial to the trial because prosecutors allege that Moussaoui's lies to Samit prevented the FBI from thwarting or at least minimizing the Sept. 11 attacks. Prosecutors must prove that Moussaoui's actions caused the death of at least one person on 9/11 to obtain a death penalty.
The defense argues that nothing Moussaoui said after his arrest would have made any difference to the FBI because its bureaucratic intransigence rendered it incapable of reacting swiftly to Moussaoui's arrest under any circumstances.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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