http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,,1767039,00.html'You lost, I won,' Moussaoui tells America as jury spares 9/11 plotter death penalty
· Terror trial Blow for Bush as case for execution is rejected
· Verdict brings mixed reaction from families
Suzanne Goldenberg, Alexandria
Thursday May 4, 2006
The Guardian
A divided jury spared the life of Zacarias Moussaoui yesterday, deciding to send to jail for the rest of his life the only man tried on US soil for the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks.
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The decision was praised by Rosemary Dillard, who lost her husband in the attacks, and who said she was proud that the jury had risen above raw emotion provoked by Moussaoui's courtroom outbursts. "He's a bad man, but this is a fair society and I think all the families agree that the judgment of the jury shows that we treat terrorists with respect no matter how disrespectful they are, and that means a lot," she said.
But Al Santora, whose firefighter son Christopher died on September 11, said he originally wanted Moussaoui sentenced to life imprisonment but changed his mind when he heard him testify. "He vowed to kill as many Americans as he could. The easiest way would have been to give him a fast execution."
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There was muted response from George Bush, who said the verdict did not represent an end to the fight against terror."We are still deeply touched by the memory of rescuers who gave all, the passengers who ran a hijacked plane into the ground to prevent an even greater loss of life, and the frightened souls who comforted one another during their final moments on Earth."