When I look at Zacarias Moussaoui, I can't help but thinking about Oswald.

[KyuzoGator]

Our government is about to execute a man for knowing about a crime. Every time he opens his mouth, I'm convinced he's batshit insane.

All I can think is that he's a patsy. Anybody else look at Moussaoui and see Oswald?

[villager]

1. Which "Oswald" do you mean?

There was, after all, more than one...

[KyuzoGator]

2. Lee Harvey. nt

[villager]

4. no, no, no -- which *Lee Harvey Oswald* do you mean?

because, you know, there was more than one.

[KyuzoGator]

5. Ah, I smell what you're cooking now. nt

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. He's the perfect scapegoat

He had nothing to do with 9/11, except on his own say-so, and my old colleagues who have been trying to represent him say this is the biggest thing that ever happened to this poor lost soul, and he's so fucking psychiatrically incompetent, they're absolutely horrified that this prosecution is even taking place.

The government, by the way, has behaved so badly in this case that the appealable error, no matter what penalty is decided, will tie the case up for years and years.

Just another reason to despise our government even more. The prosecution of a mentally ill hanger-on who did nothing.

What's funny - no, not the laughing kind of funny - is that his cultural dissonance has rendered any kind of psychiatric evaluation of him moot, since his world is so different from our Western one, there is no common ground on which to meet. Imagine any Orthodox Jew being interviewed by a shrink. You see what I mean?

It's a horrible chapter in the history of American law. As a member of the bar, I am ashamed. But, my old friends are fighting as hard as they can, and I'm proud of them for it.

(The upside of it is that the courthouse sits right on top of a massive, and vulgar, Whole Foods, and it's made traffic into the store nearly impassable on weekdays.)

[KyuzoGator]

6. Kick nt

[SPKrazy]

7. I Agree

Moussaoui is batshit insane

He was a wannabe, a patsy of sorts (whether planned or not)

He is being used by the Bushites to try to get some bounce in the polls. It isn't working.

[chookie]

9. What Martha Stewart was to Enron...

...Moussaoui (Arabic for "batshit insane") is to 9/11.

[SPKrazy]

10. Even Worse

Stewart at least isn't insane

Batshit (Moussaui) actually believes his own bullshit and the bushites are oh so glad to let him hang himself.

[chookie]

8. Agreed

This insane man is making up this shit as he goes along. He knows Richard Reid about as well as I know Johnny Depp. He knows Osama bin Laden about as well as I know George Clooney.

Showing all the images of the victims, the cockpit recordings, the outpouring of the victims' families was a total waste of time. He's so batshit insane that OF COURSE he was going to grin and roll his eyes and smirk. That's what psychos/wackos do.

I know it is frustrating for all of us that Osama has not been brought to justice, and monkey boy has not been held responsible for failing to understand some pretty obvious clues that Al Qaeda was going to launch a largescale attack on the US -- but putting a batshit crazy man to death isn't going to change a darned thing. A lifetime in a rubber room is more appropriate.

[sutz12]

11. I don't want him executed.

After all, that's what he wants. He wants to be a martyr.

I say, put him in a cell and let him rot for 50 years. No glorious martyrdom, no 72 virgins, no respect back in the 'hood.

[jerry611]

12. Just the person Al-Queda would love

Terrorists love suicidal lunatics like Moussaoui.

You think palestinians that strap bombs to themselves and blow themselves up in a crowed place are sane people?
Terrorists are all either brainwashed or completely insane.

[gratuitous]

13. And what would be the point of executing him?

Moussaoui's "batshit insane," as you so clinically put it. This is a sad, pathetic man who gave up his humanity a long time ago and now is just left with rage. Executing him makes no sense from all the popular death penalty talking points: He never directly killed anyone, so it's not like anyone was in mortal danger from him before; there's no deterrent factor, unless you think his execution will similarly deter other lunatic rage-oids who won't kill anyone either; considering all the appeals he's going to go through before any death sentence could possibly be carried out, it's not going to save the government any money and will actually end up costing us several times what it would cost to incarcerate him for the rest of his natural life.

It's just a senseless waste of a human life on top of the senseless waste of thousands and thousands of other human lives. Tell me again how the Republicans are supposed to be the party of life? Because they seem to be centered mostly on wasting lives.

[ladjf]

14. Moussaoui is no more than a stooge in the 9-11 plot.

The prosecutor's argument that he should be given the death penalty because of his bad behavior in court is irrelevant. The only real questions are (1) was he significantly involved in the 9-11 event and (2) is he sane enough to be responsible for his actions?