Beyond Belief

Zacarias Moussaoui is on trial in Virginia on charges connected with the September 11 massacre. Although his lawyers tried to stop him taking the stand for fear that it would further incriminate him he has made bold and sweeping statements in court. He claims that, although he was arrested in August 2001 he knew the targets of the 7/11 raids but he did not know their exact timing. He claims he bought a radio in prison so that he could listen to the news on the Twin Towers disaster. He rejoiced when he heard the death toll rise.
Further he claims that, if he had not been already in prison, he had been ordered by Osama Bin Laden to hi-jack a fifth airliner and fly it into the White House. One of his fellow hi-jackers would have been Richard Reid, the British "shoe bomber".
Now there are some - not necessarily all of them Muslim fanatics - who would have been rejoicing if the White House had been hit, especially if George W. had been in residence at the time. Putting that aside these are astounding claims by Mr Moussaoui. He already faces the death penalty. These admissions will almost certainly guarantee that it will be carried out. One begins to wonder about his motives. Does he feel aggrieved that he was unable to join his fellow conspirators in the glorious attack on US imperialists? Does he want to become another "martyr" for the cause of his fanatical brand of Islam? If so, in doing so, is he also sewing the seeds of doubt in the US security system about how much they really knew? Is he dressing it up, knowing that he has nothing to lose?
In short, is this just his last weapon against the US Imperialists? Put doubt and uncertainty where they thought they had it all sewn up. Undermine the faith of the American public in the ability of their own security services. Mr Moussaoui has nothing to lose and perhaps, in his own mind, great glory in the afterlife to gain by these statements.
I don't know what to believe. But this show trial, designed to show America is meting out justice against the terrorists, is being turned around by this man and will bring nothing but uncertainty and disquiet for America.