| Jurors in the death penalty trial of convicted terror | | | | The hijacker in control of the plane began to rock it |
| conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui heard chilling tapes | | | | from side to side in hopes of preventing the |
| from the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 93, one of four | | | | passengers from crashing into the cockpit with a food |
| planes hijacked as part of the September 11, 2001 | | | | cart. One of hijackers yelled, "Allah is the greatest," |
| terrorist attacks. | | | | right before the plane crashed into a field in |
| A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, must decide | | | | southwestern Pennsylvania. |
| whether Moussaoui should be executed or sent to | | | | The dramatic airing of the audiotapes from Flight 93 |
| prison for life. | | | | helped to wrap up the prosecution's arguments in the |
| As part of the prosecution's arguments in favor of the | | | | Moussaoui case. They maintain Moussaoui lied about |
| death penalty, cockpit tapes from Flight 93 were | | | | his knowledge of the 9/11 plot when he was arrested |
| played in court for the first time. | | | | in Minnesota three weeks before the attacks. |
| Flight 93 is the plane that crashed into a field in | | | | Hamilton Peterson favors the death penalty for |
| Pennsylvania after passengers tried to retake control | | | | Moussaoui. He lost his father and stepmother in the |
| of the aircraft from four hijackers on September 11th, | | | | crash of Flight 93 and has heard the tapes before. |
| 2001. | | | | "I think it captures the American spirit," he said. "It is truly |
| The cockpit tape begins with the voice of one of the | | | | remarkable that when one appreciates the brutality |
| hijackers warning passengers that there is a bomb on | | | | and the complexity of the conspiracy, that in a matter |
| board and telling them to sit down and shut up. | | | | of moments, these brave Americans overcame a |
| Later, another voice from cockpit, possibly a | | | | horrific challenge." |
| crewmember, is heard to say, "Please do not hurt me, | | | | When the trial resumes, Moussaoui's defense |
| oh God." Seconds later, another person is heard to | | | | attorneys will have their turn to try and convince the |
| say, "I do not want to die." | | | | jury to spare their client's life and send him to prison for |
| Passengers on board already knew of the attacks on | | | | life without chance of parole. |
| the World Trade Center in New York and the | | | | George Washington University legal expert Jonathan |
| Pentagon outside Washington and decided to storm | | | | Turley predicts that Moussaoui's defense team will |
| the cockpit in an effort to retake control of the plane. | | | | have an uphill struggle. |
| Later on the tape, as a struggle apparently ensues in | | | | "This is going to be a very difficult role for the defense |
| or near the cockpit between the hijackers and | | | | because there is virtually nothing that they can |
| passengers, one of the passengers urges on the | | | | present," he explained. "They will very likely try to chip |
| others, saying, "If we don't, we die." One of the | | | | away, as best they can, at Moussaoui's instability and |
| hijackers is heard to say, "They want to get in. Hold | | | | the fact that he seems to relish the idea of dying in |
| from within." | | | | connection with 9/11." |
| At this point, signs of an apparent struggle are heard | | | | Moussaoui's lawyers maintain their client knew little of |
| on the tape, with one of the hijackers saying, "Give it | | | | the 9/11 plot and that the U.S. government bungled |
| to me, give it to me," likely referring to the plane's | | | | other clues that might have helped unravel the |
| controls. | | | | conspiracy before the attacks. |