9/11 defendant lauds McVeigh

By Nolan Clay

Published: April 16, 2006

Admitted al-Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui describes Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh as "the greatest American."

Service to honor bombing victims

A remorseless Moussaoui made the statement Thursday at his federal sentencing trial in Alexandria, Va.

Jurors could decide this week if he is to be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison. He claims he was to have flown a fifth plane into the White House on Sept. 11, 2001.

"If I testify truthfully, okay, I know that God will help me and I will not be executed," he said.

Moussaoui, 37, a French Muslim, was living in Norman when McVeigh was executed in June 2001. Moussaoui was arrested in August 2001 in Minnesota, after raising suspicions at a flight school there.

The issue came up Thursday when a prosecutor asked Moussaoui if he knows who Timothy McVeigh is.

"Yes, sir, Timothy, the greatest American," he replied.

He further described McVeigh as "the one who wanted to strike the federal government."

Moussaoui said he once told a court-appointed psychiatrist that he does not believe he will get the death penalty by speaking out at trial and being "a bit hot."

He said he told the psychiatrist: "There is no rule. Because if you look at what happened to Timothy McVeigh, he was very quiet, very nice, and he still get the death penalty."

McVeigh was executed for the April 19, 1995, attack on the Oklahoma City federal building. The explosion resulted in 168 deaths.