Zacarias Moussaoui is hardly the sweet sort of boy you would like to bring home to meet the parents. His comments and escapades both inside and outside the courtroom are far from acceptable to even the most tolerant norms of most individuals, particularly here in the United States.
But is potentially putting him to death going to make anyone feel better - or create the least deterrent effect for future terrorists?
Of course not.
The Moussaoui trial is a Big Top event put on by the government. He is the designated sacrificial lamb being offered up so that Washington can crow to the peasantry "See? We are doing something!"
He did not participate in the 9/11 attacks. Not because he did not wish to, but because he was already in custody. The reason he should be put to death? Because he didn't spill his guts to the FBI and tell them everything he knew about the impending attacks.
In short, he did not do the FBI's job for them.
By this logic, every criminal convicted in the future should then be charged with the follow-up crime of failure to drop a dime on himself before the act. "Uh, yeah. Happytown Police? I'd like to report that I'll be robbing the Second Local Bank and Hardware Emporium next Thursday afternoon at 2:47. Please don't be late."
Could he have prevented tremendous destruction and loss of life? Certainly. Did he actually cause that destruction and death? No. He has done plenty to find himself incarcerated for the remainder of his life, no matter how long that might be. Let the punishment fit the crime committed, and be content with justice being served.
Putting him to death because he knew about plans to use a "weapon of mass destruction" (can anyone find an incidence of that term being applied to an aircraft prior to 9/11?) but didn't share is little less than murder in the name of serving the national hunger for revenge.
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