Defense Documents Make No Earthly Sense
Analysis by Aero-News Senior Correspondent Kevin R.C. "Hognose"
O'Brien
The court-appointed lawyers trying to defend Zacarias Moussaoui,
the so-called "20th Hijacker" now in the death-penalty phase of
trial, have submitted some of Moussaoui's writings to the court as
defense exhibits. While these writings, submitted years ago as
court filings, have been little commented on by the mainstream
press, they do provide an insight of some kind into Moussaoui.
But good luck making something of that insight -- because
Moussaoui's bombastic, adolescent writings seem to make no earthly
sense. They're more disturbing than coherent.
One defense document, Defense Exhibit DX ZM-010, contains a
tirade against Queen Elizabeth in Moussaoui's own rude hand. The
document was originally submitted to the court in November 6, 2003,
and was resubmitted last Thursday.
My comments are in brackets [like this], and we've also edited
Moussaoui's less-than-flattering name for the Queen in the
'Title' line.
20th HIJACKER
GOD CURSE THE QUEEN
TITLE: "Little B**** of Buckingham
ORIGINAL: United Best Lyric
a/k/ Zacarias Moussaoui
UK RELEASE SOON!
THE GLOBAL SOLUTION
WITCH HUNT
"There is No Truer Enmy [sic] To the Muslim (a/k/ ZM)
that [sic] Her Machiavelic of England"
Indeed the HM (a/k Her Macabre) Secret Services
Are Second to None in the Fight Against the Islamic Army (a/k/ Al
Qeada [sic])
The DJ [Moussaoui's term for Judge
Brinkema: "Death Judge"] Must Submitt [sic] Order to
force the FBI to Disclose their Affairs with Her Machiavelic MI-5,
6, 7, etc of the United Killer (a/k/ UK)
No Dirty Joke or Witchcraft from the Women
[sic] Top Crusader as the Al Queada [sic] bro has Seen
Classified Info from the Old Bailey.
[A line of Arabic, then in almost a different
hand]:
Relief: All FBI agreement [sic] and
Information received from/by Britain [sic] Secret Service
or Police in the Eradication of the Islamic Army Al Qaeda.
What to make of this remarkable document? The first thought that
comes to mind is that Moussaoui is barking mad, which must be why
his earnest lawyers, who are trying to spare him the dog-pound
death of an American convict, resubmitted it -- in hopes that
someone will point out that Moussaoui is nuts. Of course, in law,
just being nuts doesn't necessarily get one off the hook, and
Moussaoui's efforts to get himself on to it will probably overcome
anything his lawyers can do for him.
Given the widespread revulsion generated by the September 11
attacks, Moussaoui's attempts to guarantee himself "martyrdom" are
probably unnecessary.
Another possible explanation for this written outburst is that
it is nothing more than a display of contempt for the judge, the
court, and the country before which Moussaoui is on trial. Judge
Leonie M. Brinkema had issued an order to Moussaoui not to file
such documents -- the day before. "We'll give the defendant the
benefit of the doubt" that he had not been notified of her order,
but two other strange Moussaoui documents were filed without
comment (they are attached to her order of Nov. 7.).
Defense exhibit DX ZM-005 is a longer rant with the same
combination of poor literacy, bombast, and adolescent wordplay:
"DEATH TO UNITED SATAN DEMONCRACY" and "MOUSSAOUI ATTACK ON THE WTC
(World Tyran Constitution)". He refers to the "Fascist Bureau of
Inquisition" and the "USS Government" -- with the "SS" drawn as
Nazi SS runes. He also points out that "Zacarias Moussaoui vs. US"
equals "Muslims vs. Kafirs." Kafir is the Muslim term for an
infidel or unbeliever; to an Islamist, it is the most profound of
insults.
One other former special operator with whom I discussed these
documents suggested that there might be some kind of code -- apart
from Moussaoui's juvenile name-calling -- in use.
Is "United Best Lyric"
actually "Usama Bin Laden"? But that's a far-fetched idea indeed --
to whom could this man be sending code, and about what? He's been
in prison for almost five years. What can he reveal, the secret of
the menu in jail?
But, somewhat ominously, Judge Brinkema has noted that Moussaoui
has abused court filings in "attempts to communicate with persons
overseas." (See exhibit DX ZM 008). Communicate what? With whom?
She does not specify.
DX ZM-005 ("God Curse the Queen") was originally filed on August
6, 2002. Since Judge Brinkema's orders of November 5 and 7, 2003,
any such documents generated by Moussaoui are not filed as part of
the case any longer, but are filed separately under seal. These
documents will presumably be unsealed at some time, but the judge
has wide discretion in the matter.
You can read Moussaoui's rants in full -- those that were filed
as part of the case exhibits, at least -- and form your own
conclusions (or, as I did, fail to form a final conclusion) by
going to the FMI link, which is a website maintained by the
Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. All of the trial
exhibits are there. Readers are cautioned that some of the
photographic exhibits from the 9/11 attacks are graphic and
disturbing.
Much like reading the words of Zacarias Moussaoui.