Zacarias Moussaoui -is innocent

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 11:15 PM
Subject: Zacarias Massaoui -is innocent



 This is re the Marc Rodriguez communication on Moussaoui's "interesting
  insight."  The statements Marc provided  did not appear in the New York
Times coverage on Moussaoui.

   Concerning Moussaoui's reported claims, the BBC source stated that he
  asserts
   "that he, and the suspected hijackers, were under surveillance by the FBI
before September, and that the U.S. intelligence agencies allowed the
  attacks to happen."

   Up until now, Moussaoui has pleaded innocent of the September 11 attack,
 and
   no proof has been brought forward to demonstrate that he was involved in
  any  way.  He has strongly, and quite courageously in fact, expressed
political
  views concerning the role of the United States that are similar to Al
Qaeda -- views  which
   are hardly held by Al Qaeda alone in the world today.

  Moussaoui's views will certainly be presented by the prosecution and the
  media as evidence of his guilt or even as a crime in themselves,
   but this is simply a part of the attacks on democratic rights now taking
   place.  His views are no evidence whatsoever of his involvement.

   So far he has denied any foreknowledge or other involvement in the
 September
   11 attack.  It is known  that the FBI was keeping tabs on Massaoui.  This
  is
   not evidence of government foreknowledge, unless Moussaoui himself is
 shown  to have had foreknowledge {the burden of proof here remains on the
U.S.
 government) and unless it is shown that those who were spying on him knew
   what he knew (the burden of proof here is on those who argue for a U.S.
  government conspiracy to attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon).

  Is Moussaoui now changing his plea and admitting involvement? Up until now
  his denials have been adamant and I doubt he is reversing course..

  If  Moussaoui was not involved in the attacks,  then he is unlikely to be
 in
  a position to
   have any direct knowledge of surveillance
   other than that on himself. His knowledge of the surveillance of others
is
 likely to be
  more or less public information..  Likewise, unless he is shown to have
 been
 involved in planning the attack,  it is highly improbable that he has any
  direct evidence that the government had foreknowledge beyond what is
   already known about warnings the government had received, and  the
  assertions of those claiming that September 11 was a U.S. government
   conspiracy.

  Perhaps he will be able to turn up something new in a discovery  process.

  Moussaoui should certainly be allowed to make known his views and
   information in any forum he chooses.

    But I  have noticed a strong tendency not only among liberals, but among
 some
   radicals who have adopted the conspiracy claims, to treat Moussaoui's
 guilt as established.

 This was implicit, for example, in the complaints
that
 the  FBI was derelict in not searching his premises before the attack.
Given
 the  lack of evidence against him, this would have been a clear violation
of his
 and our  rights.  Certainly, his rights have been violated more than enough
since
then.

  Regardless of what we think about the conspiracy claims (I
   am unconvinced, to put it mildly), any presumption of  guilt, including
 any presumption that Moussaui has some inside dope about the alleged
 conspiracy,  should be
   rejected.  Until the government proves his guilt -- and there is no
 indication at all of that happening -- Massaoui is innocent, period.
  Fred Feldman




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