Let failed 9/11 terrorist live in US jail
This past weekend I visited Ground Zero for the first time in two years. A lot has changed there since Sept. 11, 2001. Except for the names of our loved ones inscribed in granite and the pictorial timeline depicting the site's sad history, on the surface it no longer appears to be the place of death and destruction we all know it to be. Now it looks more like a construction site representing the prosperous future of a great country.
As I stood there with fellow widow and friend Cindy McGinty, I stared into the once-gaping hole where the Twin Towers stood. I fought off anger as I tried in vain to understand the impossible. Choking back tears, I tried to comprehend how anyone could feel justified in killing nearly 3,000 people; how an individual could feel this despicable act was the will of God -- certainly not the God who has guided me my entire life and helped me maintain my sanity through the most critical time of the last 4½ years. My thoughts took me to the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, the admitted terrorist the United States is holding accountable for these senseless murders.
Over the last week I've had the opportunity to witness the trial on closed-circuit TV, watching in a Boston federal courtroom with a handful of other local 9/11 family members. Together we've learned more about the workings of Al Qaeda than many of us ever cared to know; we've heard the transcripts describing the last terrifying moments of Flights 11 and 93; we've seen tapes containing vile threats against America and hate-filled, congratulatory banter of a job well-done directly from the mouths of Osama bin Laden and his followers; and we've learned that Moussaoui is as equally unfit as a pilot-in-training as he is a lawyer.
While those of us watching from the various closed-circuit locations cannot see the jury at any time, some of us in Boston have come to sympathize with them and feel indebted to them for their contribution to this history-making case. The testimony so far has been mostly monotonous, much of it difficult to follow, and some of it impossible to understand. As witnesses to the testimony and emotional participants in the trial, we have the freedom to come and go throughout the day. The jurors don't have this luxury -- they must find ways to stay alert during the most mundane portions of the questioning and to focus on every difficult detail and how it relates to the big picture.
The big picture, of course, is whether Sept. 11 could have been avoided had Moussaoui ''told the truth" following his arrest on Aug. 16, 2001. The government maintains he was the ''20th hijacker" and lied to FBI agents prior to 9/11. The defense disagrees, portraying him as a bumbling fool, even among his terrorist peers, who knew little about the 9/11 plot. Moussaoui wants us to see him as a devoted terrorist, handpicked by Osama bin Laden and highly valued within the terrorist network. He wants us to believe that he was working toward fulfilling the dream he had one night of flying a plane into the White House and that bin Laden not only encouraged him but also supported him in that endeavor.
Initially the prosecutors had me convinced. I thought the government was holding a man who was instrumental in causing the death of my husband.
Jeff was the love of my life and the best father our children could have asked for. He brought joy to our lives that we have not seen since Sept. 10, 2001. If we could point our finger at someone responsible for taking this away, then, dare I say, let justice prevail. I was ready to face my husband's killer and relive the agony with a detailed replay of that horrible day's events. Like a broken record, this frequently plays in my mind anyway, so maybe seeing it on screen would help fill in any gaps.
But after sitting in court for four of the five days and after many discussions with fellow family members, I believe this trial is futile and laden with errors and inadequacies. Monday's developments involving the federal lawyer bringing the trial to the brink of a mistrial or dismissal seem to be typical of what direction this case is taking.
A huge amount of money and time has been invested in this case to put to death a man who isn't worthy of the attention and was probably not capable of contributing to such a comprehensive plan. Unfortunately, the horrendous results of Sept. 11 indicate that the preparation was keenly planned and the execution nearly flawless. It was a devious and heinous act created by a cunning, well-trained team of terrorists led by bin Laden, the most evil creature known to humankind. In my mind, Moussaoui falls way short of earning such high respect among his miserable peers.
No matter what the court or jury decides, Moussaoui will never be free. Won't the humiliation of being an American prisoner be worse punishment for a man who wanted to die a martyr for inflicting pain on Americans? Why should we help him realize his wish to die by proving he was personally selected by the man he holds in highest esteem? Let him live in a locked cell with the humiliation of failure and unattained dreams the rest of his life.
Globe Correspondent Christie Coombs lives in Abington. 
