Moussaoui

Talk about a 'œno-brainer,' said the New York Post in an editorial. A federal jury in Alexandria, Va., must soon decide whether al Qaida operative Zacarias Moussaoui should be executed. It's not a close call. During the first phase of his trial, Moussaoui actually boasted that he knew of the attacks planned for 9/11 and lied when he was arrested so they could go forward. The horrors being recounted in the courtroom—videos of bodies falling, those heartbreaking 911 calls—should erase any qualms about sending this man to his death. It will take a lot more than one trial to exact justice for 9/11. 'œBut it's a measure of satisfaction' that Moussaoui is 'œon the way to getting precisely the punishment he deserves.' It's also useful to be reminded of what separates us from the Islamo-fascists, said Jeff Jacoby in The Boston Globe. When terrorists kill, they are driven by blind hatred, with no regard for guilt or innocence. If Moussaoui is executed, it will be as the result of a painstaking procedure that afforded him every opportunity to defend himself. 'œThere was no justice for the victims of 9/11. For Zacarias Moussaoui, there will be.'

But killing Moussaoui would only play into his hands, said Richard Cohen in The Washington Post. If his life is spared, he will rot in prison, alone and forgotten. But if he is executed, 'œhe will attain what he always wanted—martyrdom.' Americans may see his execution as a matter of justice, but many others will see it as 'œnothing more than revenge,' and that will not help us in the most important war being waged today—the war of ideas. 'œIt is naïve, I know,' but if the United States 'œshowed that as a matter of principle, it does not take a life,' the message would be stunning. It could even lead to a little less 'œblood thirst' in the world.

If Moussaoui is put to death, said Jody Lynee Madeira in the Boston Herald, let's not kid ourselves about what would be accomplished. Already, we're hearing talk that his death would provide some 'œclosure' for the 9/11 families. That's a myth. When a loved one is killed in such a horrific manner, healing doesn't come with a single event, but rather 'œstep by step, month by month, year by year.' Moussaoui's execution won't bring closure to the nation, either, said The Miami Herald in an editorial. The most startling revelations to emerge from his trial were not about the terrorists, but about 'œthe bumbling and incompetence demonstrated by government agencies. That should worry Americans in a time when terrorism is still a threat.'

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