-
Moussaoui Born
Zacarias Moussaoui is born in Saint Jean-de-Luz, France. -
Moussaoui moves to London
Moussaoui moves to London to improve his English-speaking skills. While there, he discovers Islamic extremism. -
Suspicion
French authorities become suspicious that Moussaoui has helped fund Algerian terrorists. -
Plan in place
Bin Laden changes his mind and tells Sheikh Mohammed that the plan to hijack planes and fly them into U. S. buildings "now has Al Qaeda's full support." Bin Laden suggests the Pentagon, Capitol building, and White House as buildings he would like to see hit. By mid-1999, Sheikh Mohammed's plan shifts: he now plans to fly five planes into East Coast targets and explode five other planes bound from Asia for the United States in mid-air above the Pacific Ocean, all about the same time. Sheikh Moh -
Makes payments to Flight Academy
Moussaoui makes payments to Pan Am International Flight Academy in Minnesota to enroll in a simulator course in commercial flight training. -
Knife Purchase
Moussaoui buys two leatherman knives from an Oklahoma City store. -
Starts Flight classes
Moussaoui attends classes at the Pan Am Flight Academy and uses its commercial flight training simulator -
Behavior notice
A flight instructor suspicious of Moussaoui's behavior notifies the Minneapolis office of the F.B.I. -
Immigration charges
Moussaoui is arrested on immigration charges, mainly as a way of keeping him out of circulation. The Minneapolis Office of the F.B.I. begins an investigation of possible terrorism connections and quickly becomes convinced that Moussaoui is part of a larger plot. -
F.B.I is notified
French authorities notify the F.B.I. that Moussaoui is a suspected Islamic extremist. -
Thoery
Harry Samit, a Minneapolis F.B.I. agent, writes a memo theorizing the Moussaoui might have been planning to fly a plane into the World Trade Center. -
9/11 Attack
Terrorists hijack four commercial airliners. Two planes are flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing both towers to collapse. A third plane crashes into the Pentagon, and a fourth--headed for the U.S. Capitol, crashes into a field in Pennsylvania. In all, nearly 3,000 people perish. -
Announcement of charges
The U. S. government announces that Moussaoui has been indicted on six charges related to the 9/11 conspiracy. -
Bail denied
Moussaoui is moved to Alexandria, VA for trial. Bail is denied. Moussaoui’s court-appointed lwyer says his client plans on pleading “not guilty.” -
Refusal to plea
Moussaoui refuses to plead; Judge Leonie Brinkema enters a plea of "not guilty." -
Death Penalty announcement
Prosecutors announce they will seek the death penalty in the Moussaoui case. -
Proclaims innocence
Moussaoui is allowed to represent himself and proclaims his innocence. Court-appointed attorneys ask to be dismissed. Judge Brinkema orders to them to stay as standby. -
Request to interview "Sheikh Mohammed"
Moussaoui requests access to interview Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, called by the government 9-11's "mastermind." -
No death penelty
Citing the DOJ's decision to not allow Moussaoui to question of Al Qaeda leaders, Judge Brinkema announces that the government, as a penalty, will not be able to seek the death penalty. -
Letter from Moussaoui
Moussaoui sends Judge Brinkema a letter saying he wants to plead guilty. The judge finds him mentally competent and accepts his plea. -
Life or Death?
Jury selection begins in the trial to determine Moussaoui’s sentence--life or death. -
Opening Statement
Opening statements are delivered in the Moussaoui trial. -
Eligible for death penalty
The jury finds that Moussaoui's lying to federal agents was responsible for deaths on 9/11 and that he is therefore eligible for the death penalty. -
Life in prison
The jury fails to agree unanimously on a sentence of death. Moussaoui is sentenced to life in prison. -
Supermax
Moussaoui is flown by private jet to Colorado, where he is placed in a federal prison (called "Supermax") in Florence to begin serving his life sentence. -
Innocent?
Osama bin Laden releases a videotape in which he says Moussaoui had nothing to do with 9-11.