Moussaoui Eligible for Death Penalty

The US jury in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui today found that the confessed al-Qaida plotter is eligible for the death penalty for his role in the September 11 2001 terror attacks.

On the key question before the jurors, they answered yes on whether at least one victim died on 9/11 as a direct result of Moussaoui's actions.

Moussaoui, 37, now faces the second phase of his sentencing trial for his role in the terrorist attacks.

The nine men and three women of the jury will hear testimony on whether Moussaoui, who was in jail at the time of the attack, deserves to be executed for his role. The testimony will include families of 9/11 victims.

Moussaoui sat in his chair and prayed silently as the verdict was read. He refused to stand up to hear the verdict.

"You'll never get my blood, God curse you all," he said after the verdict.

Moussaoui, a Frenchman of Morrocan descent, attended flight-training school in Minnesota in early 2001.

After arousing suspicion in August of that year for trying to learn how to fly a Boeing 747, he was arrested by the FBI and held on immigration charges.

He pleaded guilty last April to six counts of conspiring with al-Qaida to attack the US. At the time, he denied being part of the 9/11 plot, saying he was being trained for a separate attack.

But he changed his story when he took the stand and claimed he was to have flown a hijacked airliner into the White House on that day.