USA. GOVERNMENT URGES JUDGE TO SET DATE FOR MOUSSAOUI TRIAL

March 21, 2005: the US government asked a federal judge to set an October start date for the much-delayed trial of accused September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.
One day after the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Moussaoui, who had argued he could not get a fair trial without access to al Qaeda captives who could help his defence, federal prosecutors asked District Judge Leonie Brinkema to set a date for the trial to move ahead in October.
Prosecutors proposed starting jury selection on October 3, with opening statements to begin on October 31.
In December, Brinkema halted Moussaoui's legal proceedings at the district court level while the Supreme Court weighed Moussaoui's appeal of a federal appeals court ruling. Moussaoui was seeking approval to question al Qaeda captives, who he says will help prove that he was not involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
But on March 21 the Supreme Court let stand the ruling that allowed US prosecutors to seek the death penalty and said Moussaoui's lawyers could not directly question the al Qaeda captives, who could provide testimony favourable to his defence.
The US government says national security could be compromised if Moussaoui -- the only person charged in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people -- is allowed to question the al Qaeda captives who are being held and interrogated overseas by the United States.
Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, was arrested on immigration charges before the September 11 attacks. (Sources: Reuters, 22/03/2005)