11 December 2001
Transcript: Ashcroft Announces Indictment Against Terror Suspect
(Frenchman of Moroccan descent tied to hijackers and al Qaeda) (3540)
Attorney General John Ashcroft has made public a detailed indictment
against Zacarias Moussaoui, charging him with conspiracy in the
September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan ancestry, is charged with
undergoing the same training and receiving the same funding as the 19
hijackers who carried out the attacks, Ashcroft said in a press
conference in Washington December 11. Four of the six counts against
him could merit the death penalty if he is convicted, the attorney
general said.
The indictment alleges that Moussaoui trained at an al Qaeda camp in
Afghanistan, received flight training from the same U.S. institution
as hijacker Mohamed Atta, received money from the same sources in
Germany and the Middle East that allegedly funded the hijackers, made
inquiries ofa crop dusting company, and possessed information about
the application of pesticides from airplanes, Ashcroft said.
An indictment connecting Moussaoui with the September 11 hijackers and
the resulting trial will allow evidence to be formally brought against
al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, who is listed as an
unindicted co-conspirator, Ashcroft said.
Saying that Moussaoui's indictment was "an important step" in
obtaining justice against those responsible for the terrorist attacks,
Ashcroft characterized the document as "a chronicle of evil, a
carefully documented year-by-year, month-by-month, day-by-day account
of a terrorist conspiracy."
"For those who continue to doubt al Qaeda's role in the murders of
September 11th, our indictment offers 30 pages of chilling allegations
of al Qaeda's campaign of terror," said Ashcroft.
Speaking with Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller said Zacarias
Moussaoui has been in FBI custody since August 2001, when flight
training officials in Minnesota became suspicious of his activities
and alerted authorities. He was questioned and had been detained on
visa violation charges prior to the December 11 indictment, Mueller
said.
Following is the transcript of Ashcroft's and Mueller's press
conference:
(begin transcript)
U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney General John Ashcroft
News Conference regarding Zacarias Moussaoui
December 11, 2001
DOJ Conference Center
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Today, three months after the assault on our
homeland, the United States of America has brought the awesome weight
of justice against the terrorists who blithely murdered innocent
Americans. The first indictment has been brought against the
terrorists of September 11th. Al Qaeda will now meet the justice it
abhors and the judgment it fears.
This morning a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia charged
Zacarias Moussaoui, a native of France of Moroccan ancestry, with
conspiring with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda to murder thousands of
innocent people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania on September
the 11th. The indictment names the following individuals as unindicted
co-conspirators:
Osama bin Laden, head of the al Qaeda network;
Ayman al-Zawahiri, head of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad;
Moustaffa Ahmed al-Hawasawi (sp), who is alleged to have provided
funding to Moussaoui and some of the 19 hijackers from bank accounts
in the United Arab Emirates;
Ramzi Binalshibh, believed to have been a member of the al Qaeda
Hamburg cell, who is alleged to have transferred funds to Moussaoui.
Also named as unindicted co-conspirators are: Mohamed Atta, Abdul
Alomari, Wail Alshari, Waleed Alshehri and Satam al-Suqami, the
hijackers of American Airlines Flight number 11; Marwan al-Shehhi,
Fayez Ahmed, Ahmed Algamdi, Hamza Algamdi and Mohald Alshehri, the
hijackers of United Airlines Flight 175; Khalid al-Midhar, Nawaq
Alhamzi, Hani Hanjour, Salem Alhamzi and Majed Moqed, the hijackers of
American Airlines Flight 77; and Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed Alhaznawi, Saeed
Alghamdi, Ahmed Alnami, the hijackers of United Airlines Flight number
93.
For those who continue to doubt al Qaeda's role in the murders of
September 11th, our indictment offers 30 pages of chilling allegations
of al Qaeda's campaign of terror. It lists four counts against
Moussaoui -- pardon me, it lists six counts against Moussaoui, four of
which authorize the maximum penalty, upon conviction, of death. The
indictment issued today charges that al Qaeda conspired to commit acts
of terrorism, conspired to commit aircraft piracy, conspired to
destroy aircraft, conspired to use weapons of mass destruction,
conspired to murder United States employees, and conspired to destroy
property.
As the indictment sets forth, the United States alleges that Moussaoui
engaged in the same preparation for murder as the 19 co-conspirators
who carried out the September 11th hijackings. The indictment
specifies that Moussaoui, like the 19 hijackers who killed themselves
in the name of terror on September the 11th, trained at an al
Qaeda-affiliated camp in Afghanistan. It alleges that Moussaoui, like
the others, received flight training in the United States. It alleges
that Moussaoui, like the others, received funding from sources in
Germany and the Middle East. It alleges that Moussaoui, like his
co-conspirator, Mohammed Atta, made inquiries with a crop-dusting
company and had in his possession a computer disk containing
information related to the aerial application of pesticides.
The indictment issued today is a chronicle of evil, a carefully
documented year-by-year, month-by-month, day-by-day account of a
terrorist conspiracy that gathered both force and intensity in the
weeks before September the 11th. Zacarias Moussaoui is alleged to have
been an active participant in this conspiracy, alongside the 19
terrorists who carried it out. Moussaoui is charged with undergoing
the same training, receiving the same funding, and pledging the same
commitment to kill Americans as the hijackers.
The indictment describes how Moussaoui worked in concert with
unindicted co-conspirators Moustaffa Ahmed al-Hawasawi (sp) and Ramzi
Binalshibh, who are fugitives, to carry about the September 11th
attacks.
When Binalshibh was refused entry into the United States, he is
alleged to have acted as a financier and facilitator of terrorism,
transferring funds to Moussaoui and other terrorists from his position
in Hamburg, Germany.
Al-Hawasawi (sp) is alleged to have been another source of funding for
the September 11th plot. The indictment charges that al- Hawasawi (sp)
moved funds to Binalshibh in Germany who, in turn, wired money to
Moussaoui for flight training in the United States. Moussaoui is
charged as an active conspirator in the al Qaeda terrorist machine
that to this day threatens the civilized world.
The indictment alleges -- it alleges that these terrorists provided
training camps and military and intelligence training in Afghanistan,
in Pakistan, in Sudan and other areas for use of al Qaeda and its
affiliated groups, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The charges
also allege that the terrorists gave financial support on behalf of al
Qaeda, including purchasing land for training camps, purchasing
communications and electronics equipment, and transporting currency
and weapons to members of al Qaeda and its associated terrorist
organizations.
The acts of war on September 11th were an attack on all of America. In
response, we have assembled a team of investigators and prosecutors
who are among America's brightest and best. This indictment is the
culmination of literally thousands of hours of effort on the part of
these dedicated men and women. I commend the men and women of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Led by Director Bob Mueller, these
individuals have worked beyond fatigue; they have worked seven days a
week, 24 hours a day, to identify, track down and disrupt terrorist
networks.
I congratulate Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, and Assistant
Attorney General Michael Chertoff, both former U.S. attorneys,
distinguished for targeting and bringing down criminal enterprises. I
commend them for their equally extraordinary work in this
investigation bringing us to this moment.
Today's indictment is the product of a national prosecution effort
undertaken by the Department of Justice September 11 Task Force.
Although these charges are brought in the Eastern District of
Virginia, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, together
with prosecutors from the Eastern District of Virginia, and the
Criminal Division of the Department of Justice here in Washington,
have led the September 11th Task Force and will comprise the
prosecution team.
I congratulate Paul McNulty, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern
District of Virginia, and Mary Jo White, U.S. attorney for the
Southern District of New York. Under Mary Jo White's leadership, her
office secured the conviction of four al Qaeda terrorists who were
sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for
their participation in the August 1998 bombing of two American
embassies in Africa.
Other terrorism cases are currently pending in the Southern District
of New York. Today's indictment is being brought in Virginia in
recognition of the fact that we are engaged in a national struggle
against terrorism and that we will investigate and prosecute the
terrorist networks on multiple legal fronts, and that the September
11th attack struck at one of the most important institutions of
government, the United States Pentagon.
For three months now, the families of victims of September 11th have
waited for the killers of their loved ones to pay the price for their
crimes. We will shortly be making available a website and a 1- 800
number for victims and victims' families to follow the progress of
this prosecution.
The indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui is an important step in securing
justice for the victims of September 11th.
Today, 7,000 miles from the field of battle in Afghanistan, another
victory is taking shape in the war on terrorism. The values of freedom
and justice that terrorists hate and sought to extinguish on September
11th have been vindicated as justice is served. America and the
civilized world are united in defense of liberty and in the pursuit of
justice. The United States will comfort and care for those victimized
by terrorism. The United States will pursue and punish those who
perpetrate terrorism. We will be relentless and resolute. We will not
forget. And we will prevail.
Thank you. Bob.
MR. MUELLER: Thank you, Mr. Attorney General. And good afternoon all.
This morning, people across the country and around the world
remembered and honored those who lost their lives, those who saved
lives, and those whose lives were changed forever by the tragic events
of September 11th. The indictment we are announcing today is an
important step in the process of bringing justice to those we believe
to be connected to these violent and vicious attacks on America.
Zacarias Moussaoui first came to our attention on August 15th when we
at the FBI received information about the suspicious circumstances of
his flight training. The FBI working with the INS was enabled -- was
able to assure that Moussaoui was detained on the following day on
visa violation charges, and he remained in custody since -- and has
remained in custody since August 16th.
The FBI continued to investigate Moussaoui after his detention. And as
we have uncovered information on the September 11th attacks, and as is
alleged in the indictment, Moussaoui followed many of the same
patterns and took many of the same steps as the other -- as the 19
hijackers.
As the indictment charges, Moussaoui was present at an al Qaeda-based
terrorist training camp in Afghanistan three years ago. He attended
flight school and took commercial flight training courses. He
purchased flight deck videos from an Ohio flight store, just as
Mohammed Atta and the other hijackers had done before him. He
purchased knives and protective equipment. He looked into Global
Positioning System technology. And like Atta, he also researched crop
dusting.
The indictment also alleges that Moussaoui was linked to Ramzi
Binalshibh, an associate of Atta who tried unsuccessfully to get into
the United States on four separate occasions.
As the indictment charges, at the time of Binalshibh's last failed
attempt to enter the United States, Moussaoui was contacting flight
schools and making arrangements to have a legitimate presence in the
United States.
In February of 2001, Moussaoui arrived in the United States, opened a
bank account with $32,000 in cash and immediately enrolled in a flight
school. And as also charged in the indictment, in early August 2001,
Moussaoui received $14,000 from Germany, sent to him by Binalshibh.
Lastly, on August 10th, as the indictment alleges, he paid for flight
lessons with $6,300 in cash.
I want to thank all those who contributed to today's indictment,
including our partners here in the United States, as well as our
partners overseas, whose cooperation and investigative skills were
invaluable. And with the help of our partners here in the United
States and overseas, we will continue to investigate to ensure that
justice is done. Thank you.
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Yes.
Q: Mr. Attorney General, is Mr. Moussaoui cooperating? And can you
tell us, since he followed the same patterns, but Mr. Mueller has told
us that he wasn't the 20th hijacker, do you believe that he was going
to be involved in a second wave of attacks and additional hijackings?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Very frankly, I'm not going to be commenting on
the evidence. I'm just -- the indictment is substantial. I believe you
have a copy of it, and it speaks for itself. Thank you.
Yes, sir?
Q: Will you be seeking the death penalty in this case, sir?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: The Department of Justice has a procedure for
evaluating indictments that have been returned by grand juries where
there are death-eligible offenses. That procedure involves a program
of evaluation and recommendations. That will be conducted
expeditiously, but the procedures will be followed, and a
determination will be made subsequent to that procedure having been
completed.
Yes, sir?
Q: Could you tell us about your decision to bring these prosecutions
in Virginia, rather than in New York? The U.S. attorney's office there
has been bringing these prosecutions for some years and developed some
expertise in these kinds of cases, and of course, most of the victims
were in New York. Why did you decide to bring this in Virginia?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Well, this is first an assault on the United
States of America, as well as the entirety of the civilized world. You
know dozens and dozens of nations lost lives in the various sites. The
crimes here were committed from Maine and Massachusetts to New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia. This is a national matter. We have
focused the national investigative effort here in Washington, D.C.,
under the direction of the FBI, and of course with the deputy attorney
general and then Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff. We have
taken expertise from around the country to assemble the prosecution
team, as well as the investigative resources. And it's with that in
mind that the proximity to this investigation would make the best
sense for us to bring this case, using these resources, here in this
setting.
Yes?
Q: Mr. Attorney General? Bin Laden and others have been named as
unindicted co-conspirators. That doesn't preclude indicting them
somewhere down the line in the investigation, does it?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: No, it does not in any way.
Yes? Front row.
Q: Where is Moussaoui now?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: He is being detained in the United States -- by
the United States of America. And I'm not able to give you a specific
address for that detention.
Sir?
Q: Mr. Attorney General, the evidence is mounting against Osama bin
Laden. We've heard about the tape that has yet to be released, and by
your own account the evidence is pretty compelling. Why was he not
indicted at this particular point?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: Well, we have indicted the individual that we have
in custody at this particular time. And I wouldn't -- other than that,
I wouldn't draw any conclusions about the fact that others are
unindicted.
Yes, sir?
Q: You mentioned he followed the same patterns, but during the time
that he was in this country, did he have any contact, direct contact
with the other 19 involved?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: I think the indictment lays out the broad outlines
of the case very clearly. I would refer you to that, and then indicate
that while it does that, there will be substantial and other
additional evidence that will be presented at trial, but about which I
will not comment at this time.
Q: Mr. Attorney General, would you speak about the concern over the
use of military tribunals against people -- foreign-born folks
arrested in the United States?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: I believe that the idea of having military
commissions to try war criminals as a tool for the president of the
United States is a good tool for him to have at his disposal.
This case merely indicates that my responsibility is to bring charges
against those who commit crimes and are to be tried in the criminal
justice system. We have done so in this instance. We believe that the
indictment speaks clearly about the nature of this case.
Yes, in the back.
Q: Mr. Attorney General, why was the indictment brought today, on the
third anniversary?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: We've been working, as I've commended, with these
individuals for their outstanding effort and the organizations they
represent, day and night to develop this. We believe that when the
grand jury voted to bring forth these six counts in this indictment
that it would appropriate to carry those counts immediately to the
judge and to proceed.
Yes, sir.
Q: Why was -- given that this man was in custody before September
11th, why was it not possible to learn enough from him to prevent
these attacks?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: I don't -- maybe the director of the FBI wants to
make that statement. We learned enough to keep him in custody. And
individuals who are uncooperative don't -- frequently don't become
very substantial sources of information.
MR. MUELLER: I think, as I've indicated before, he was -- at the point
in time after he was arrested on INS charges, we obtained no further
information from him. And consequently, while there was some
information to follow up on, which we did follow up on, he was not
cooperative at that time.
Q: Mr. Director, was he the 20th hijacker or not? I mean, there is no
information in the indictment that seems to clearly link him to the
other 19 apart from his parallel activities.
MR. MUELLER: Well, I think if you parse the indictment you will see
that Binalshibh attempted four times to come into the United States
and was rejected on those four occasions. Subsequent to that fourth
time he was rejected, you will see Mr. Moussaoui attempting to come in
the United States. Those are the allegations in the indictment, and
the indictment speaks for itself.
Q: He's still not cooperating with you, though.
Q: Mr. Director? In terms of the investigation, to follow up on his
question, were there any patterns that were missed at the time? Was
there a need for a broader investigation to see if other people may
have been engaging in this type of training?
MR. MUELLER: Well, at the time the agents looked at his involvement
with the flight school, they -- as I've indicated before, the agents
in Minneapolis sought to do a FISA wire on a laptop, and the attorneys
at the FBI believed there was insufficient probable cause, and he was
being investigated -- his activities were being investigated when
September 11th occurred.
Now, could we have done something else, perhaps, to avoid it in that
investigation? Who can say? All I can tell you is that the agents on
the scene attempted to follow up aggressively. The attorneys back at
FBI determined that there was insufficient probable cause for a FISA,
which appears to be an accurate decision. And September 11th happened.
STAFF: Last question please.
Q: Director, is it your intention then to show that Binalshibh was
going to come to the United States and hijack a plane with the other
hijackers, but when he couldn't, Moussaoui was to take his place and
do that? I mean, is that what you intend to prove?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: The indictment is substantial. It alleges a very
serious set of facts. There may be additional facts and evidence that
are provided at the time of trial, but we will not go beyond the
indictment today. The rules relating to statements we make limit us to
staying within the indictment.
Yes.
Q: Attorney General, last week, when you testified about the
tribunals, you talked about you didn't want to see defendants with
flamboyant defense attorneys and a long -- and people with, you know,
a talk show of their own. Aren't you now going to see a very long,
expensive trial, since Moussaoui will be afforded two defense lawyers
since he's facing the death penalty?
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: We look forward to this trial and the presentation
of the evidence, which is -- I think the indictments clearly indicated
the direction in which we will move. And to go beyond the indictment
now and try and describe the trial, it would not be appropriate for me
to do that.
Thank you all very much. Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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