Sept 11 accused Moussaoui pleads guilty on 6 counts

A calm Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring with Al Qaeda operatives involved in the 9/11 terrorist plot. But he vowed ...

A calm Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring with Al Qaeda operatives involved in the 9/11 terrorist plot. But he vowed to ‘‘fight every inch’’ of the way against being put to death because, he said, he was recruited for a separate assault — flying a plane into the White House.

Nevertheless, by signing a five-page, 23-paragraph ‘‘Statement of Facts’’ acknowledging his involvement, Moussaoui made himself eligible for the death penalty when the punishment phase of his case opens later this year. In the ‘‘Statement of Facts,’’ the 46-year-old French Moroccan said he came to the US after being ‘‘personally selected’’ by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to attack the White House. He acknowledged that he used several aliases including ‘‘Abu Khaled al Sahrawi’’. And he said that bin Laden, in encouraging him to kill Americans, told him, ‘‘Sahrwari, remember your dream.’’

He indicated one of Al Qaeda’s goals was to free the ‘‘blind sheikh’’, Omar Rahman, who is in jail in the US. His guilty plea and statements about details of his case are shadowed by questions about his mental state. US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema ruled that he was pleading guilty ‘‘knowingly and voluntarily’’. ‘‘Mr. Moussaoui is an extremely intelligent man,’’ she said.

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Moussaoui pleaded guilty to all six counts in the federal indictment against him — that he conspired to commit acts of terrorism, aircraft piracy and aircraft destruction, use weapons of mass destruction, murder US employees and destroy property.

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said his team of government lawyers look forward to the penalty phase, where they are expected to hold Moussaoui accountable with his life for the deaths of the 3,000 killed on 9/11. Moussaoui is the only person in the US charged in connection with the attacks. —LAT-WP

Sanchez cleared in Abu Ghraib case

WASHINGTON: A US Army investigation cleared four of the most senior Army officers overseeing prison policies and operations in Iraq of responsibility for prisoner abuse there, officials said on Friday. Among those exonerated was Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the top commander in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004. —NYT

‘Given stale food, locked up’: Truck cleaner on ‘abduction’ horror at Khedkar residence

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A truck cleaner in Navi Mumbai was rescued by the police after being abducted by the father of a sacked IAS officer. The victim was held captive, given stale food, and threatened with murder. The accused demanded compensation for their damaged car and threatened to kill the victim if not paid. The accused have been charged with extortion and destruction of evidence.

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