Moussaoui's Jury Considers Death Penalty

Zacarias Moussaoui agreed last year, when he pleaded guilty for charges of conspiracy to terrorism, with accepting the death penalty, saying he heads for "the gas chamber or the lethal injection." But after two days, the man said he will "fight every inch against the death penalty [...] You'll never get my blood!"

On Monday, the jury decided that the defendant, the only man charged for Sept. 11 2001 attack, is eligible for the death penalty. Moussaoui was arrested in August 2001 for immigration violations and he was detained during the attacks. After hearing four weeks of testimony, the jury decided on the verdict, a second option being life imprisonment.

The man already pleaded guilty for conspiring with al-Qaeda in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the jury needing only to decide the sentence. He also stated in front of the jury that he wanted to kill every American, also admitting having lied the FBI to allow the plot to go forward.

If Moussaoui gets sentenced, this could make him a martyr. Osama bin Laden believes that martyrdom can be achieved through suicide operations and, according to Al-Qaeda, members need to "be willing to do the work and undergo martyrdom for the purpose of achieving the goal and establishing the religion of majestic Allah on earth."

"There's absolutely no doubt that executing him would turn him into a martyr," said Bruce Hoffman, who studied terrorism at the Rand Corp. for 25 years. This martyrdom will be used by the terrorist group for propaganda and the recruitment of new members