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Moussaoui's courtroom antics uphold reputation(New York Daily News (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) ALEXANDRIA, Va. _ Zacarias Moussaoui has proved himself at his trial to be exactly as al-Qaida's leaders described him _ an annoying and needling complainer who made dangerous mistakes. From his bungling as a clandestine operative to his courtroom antics, Moussaoui has played the fool his ex-terror bosses said they kept trying to ditch. Moussaoui's antics are often crude. He has yet to leave the court without yelling a head-scratching slogan, be it a turn on a Bruce Springsteen hit, "Burn in the USA," the co-opted Sept. 11 battle cry "Let's roll to victory," or the utterly baffling "Hollywood, deadly circus!" His favorite adieu: "God curse you all." Each time, he waits until the judge and the jury weighing his execution have departed, leaving mostly a roomful of journalists. When Judge Leonie Brinkema was present, Moussaoui behaved, so she wouldn't toss him out before his turn on the witness stand. She has banned him from her courtroom in the past. Though quiet and seemingly somber while 35 witnesses testified about their Sept. 11 losses and wept, he was not respectful, just quiet. But once on the stand, Moussaoui could no longer hold back his hate, calling the grieving families "disgusting." He also portrayed himself as a key al-Qaida operative _ while his commanders portrayed him as a klutz who bungled every task given to him. Court documents and interrogation transcripts of detainees show he drew attention to himself by talking about terror plots, preaching jihad, dressing in designer clothes and flashing al-Qaida cash from Malaysia to Oklahoma. He was a nuisance who failed to follow basic lessons in al-Qaida's playbook, known as the Manchester Manual for the British city where it was seized. The manual stresses that operatives have a "calm personality" to endure "traumas such as imprisonment." They also must obey orders and practice strict secrecy. But after Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed sent Moussaoui to Malaysia for flight training in 2000, Moussaoui called a lieutenant's emergency number every day until the lieutenant tossed his cell phone. After a few weeks, Moussaoui complained that Malaysia was too rainy and left. Mohammed, who was nabbed by the CIA in 2003, said Moussaoui repeatedly "disobeyed orders and created problems" by "talking too much." While in Malaysia, Moussaoui blabbed to local terror leader Hambali that he dreamed of crashing a jetliner into the White House and conned him into buying explosives for a mission nobody ordered. Hambali, also captured by the CIA, admitted that Moussaoui "annoyed" and "needled" him to do "ridiculous" things such as kidnap Chinese businessmen. The al-Qaida manual tells operatives not to put operational funds in one place. But in Norman, Okla., Moussaoui deposited $32,000 in cash in a local bank and told his roommate. The manual also says passports and driver's licenses should show "the brother ... without a beard." Moussaoui's arrest mug shots show he had a beard. ___ (c) 2006, New York Daily News. Visit the Daily News online at http://www.nydailynews.com/ Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. _____ ARCHIVE PHOTO on KRT Direct (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): Moussaoui For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail [email protected]. |