Moussaoui gets Life in Prison

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported (ad did everybody else) that Zacarias Moussaoui would not receive the death penalty for his role (whatever it might have been) in the 9/11 attacks.

When you stop to think about it, if Moussaoui had gotten the death penalty, it would have been a pretty alarming precedent. The government wanted to kill this man because he wouldn't incriminate himself while in police custody. Essentially, he lied, so the prosecution wanted him executed.

Of course that isn't to say that Moussaoui was some sort of innocent man caught up by the government. He was, if only as a hanger-on, involved with the 9/11 plot.

I'm most surprised that the Justice Department failed to secure an execution for their 'centerpiece' in the War on Terrorism^tm. It's going to be a little hard to explain that to the 'base.' Especially because they brought the case in the jurisdiction that they thought would be the most receptive to a death penalty conviction. That said, I'm pleased that the jury, who could have let emotions dictate thought about the case and came to a reasoned conclusion.

This verdict reflects well on America. We are the bigger people, able to resist the human urge to kill those who would kill you. We overcame the bloodlust that 9/11 understandably created. Of course I'm anti-Death Penalty anyway...

Zacarias Moussaoui